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News
Dr. José Antonio Abreu to receive the Frankfurt Music Prize 2009
Published: Feb 26, 2009 - 06:05 PM
The ‘Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela’ (FESNOJIV) came about at his initiative and is now one of the best known organisations for promoting an interest in music among children and young people. In particular, the ‘Sistema’ gives children from poor districts the chance to learn an instrument and many of them subsequently travel around the world as members of the many newly founded ensembles, choirs and orchestras.
The ‘Orchester Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar’ is considered to be one of the world’s best youth orchestras. It tours the whole world and is frequently conducted by world-famous conductors. The permanent musical director of the orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel, began his early musical education via the ‘Sistima’ and is now one of the new, up-and-coming star conductors of the future. By awarding the Frankfurt Music Prize to Dr. Abreu, the Board of Trustees of the Frankfurt Music Prize wish to underscore the social significance of musical instruction at an early age. Thus, Abreu meets the requirements for the award of the Frankfurt Music Prize in a particularly impressive way.
Dr. José Antonio Abreu studied at Caracas Music Academy. Parallel to this, he took a course of study in economics at the University of Caracas. Since then, he has employed both of these skills for the benefit of music and his country. Against the background of poverty in Venezuela, he wanted to give children and young people from the poor areas, the ‘Barrios’, a chance and new perspectives via music and active music making. Himself a musician and conductor, Abreu founded the ‘Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar’, an orchestra of young amateur musicians, in 1975. Simultaneously, he was able to persuade the government to support his orchestra and his idea for promoting music among young people on a national basis, which resulted in the founding of his ‘sistema’, the National System of Children’s and Young People’s Orchestras in Venezuela.
The ‘Sistema de Orquesta Juvenil e Infantil de Venezuela’ con¬cen¬trates particularly on children and young people from poor families. In music schools spread across the whole country, children of two and older can learn to play musical instruments. Open six days a week, the music schools are located where the children live, in many cases in the dingy ‘Barrios’. There, children can try out and learn instruments free of charge. All children are placed in an orchestra or ensemble. To date, 250,000 Venezuelan children have already taken part in this programme and there are around 120 youth orchestras, 60 children’s orchestras and numerous choirs.
In addition to musical instruction, the ‘sistema’ attaches particular significance to social aspects. Children can enjoy a safe and non-violent environment and are supported by the music teachers if they have insufficient food or clothing or are subject to violence in the family. Courses are also offered on making and repairing instruments. Moreover, the ‘sistema’ includes special music-therapy programmes for handicapped children, as well as academic centres for acoustics, musicology and other advanced training courses
The orchestra and schools have not only had an extremely positive impact in the Venezuelan towns and villages where they are located. They have also brought about a cultural renaissance throughout Venezuela, the like of which is to be seen in virtually no other South American country. Studies underscore the positive impact of the programme on children and young people, as well as on their development in school, at work and in their social environment.
Worth € 15,000, the Prize is donated by the Federal Association of German Musical Instrument Manu¬facturers (Bundes¬verband der Deutschen Musikinstrumenten-Hersteller e. V. - BDMH) and Messe Frankfurt GmbH. Petra Roth, Mayor of the City of Frankfurt, will present the prize at the 'Römer', Frankfurt's Town Hall. The speech in honour of Dr. José Antonio Abreu will be given by Thomas Rietschel, President of the Academy for Music and the Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main. Conducted by Prof. Thomas Clamor, the brass ensemble of the orchestra will play in honour of the holder of the Frankfurt Music Prize.
The Frankfurt Music Prize on the Musikmesse website
The official Sistema internet site
The ‘Orchester Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar’ is considered to be one of the world’s best youth orchestras. It tours the whole world and is frequently conducted by world-famous conductors. The permanent musical director of the orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel, began his early musical education via the ‘Sistima’ and is now one of the new, up-and-coming star conductors of the future. By awarding the Frankfurt Music Prize to Dr. Abreu, the Board of Trustees of the Frankfurt Music Prize wish to underscore the social significance of musical instruction at an early age. Thus, Abreu meets the requirements for the award of the Frankfurt Music Prize in a particularly impressive way.
Dr. José Antonio Abreu studied at Caracas Music Academy. Parallel to this, he took a course of study in economics at the University of Caracas. Since then, he has employed both of these skills for the benefit of music and his country. Against the background of poverty in Venezuela, he wanted to give children and young people from the poor areas, the ‘Barrios’, a chance and new perspectives via music and active music making. Himself a musician and conductor, Abreu founded the ‘Sinfónica de la Juventud Venezolana Simón Bolívar’, an orchestra of young amateur musicians, in 1975. Simultaneously, he was able to persuade the government to support his orchestra and his idea for promoting music among young people on a national basis, which resulted in the founding of his ‘sistema’, the National System of Children’s and Young People’s Orchestras in Venezuela.
The ‘Sistema de Orquesta Juvenil e Infantil de Venezuela’ con¬cen¬trates particularly on children and young people from poor families. In music schools spread across the whole country, children of two and older can learn to play musical instruments. Open six days a week, the music schools are located where the children live, in many cases in the dingy ‘Barrios’. There, children can try out and learn instruments free of charge. All children are placed in an orchestra or ensemble. To date, 250,000 Venezuelan children have already taken part in this programme and there are around 120 youth orchestras, 60 children’s orchestras and numerous choirs.
In addition to musical instruction, the ‘sistema’ attaches particular significance to social aspects. Children can enjoy a safe and non-violent environment and are supported by the music teachers if they have insufficient food or clothing or are subject to violence in the family. Courses are also offered on making and repairing instruments. Moreover, the ‘sistema’ includes special music-therapy programmes for handicapped children, as well as academic centres for acoustics, musicology and other advanced training courses
The orchestra and schools have not only had an extremely positive impact in the Venezuelan towns and villages where they are located. They have also brought about a cultural renaissance throughout Venezuela, the like of which is to be seen in virtually no other South American country. Studies underscore the positive impact of the programme on children and young people, as well as on their development in school, at work and in their social environment.
Worth € 15,000, the Prize is donated by the Federal Association of German Musical Instrument Manu¬facturers (Bundes¬verband der Deutschen Musikinstrumenten-Hersteller e. V. - BDMH) and Messe Frankfurt GmbH. Petra Roth, Mayor of the City of Frankfurt, will present the prize at the 'Römer', Frankfurt's Town Hall. The speech in honour of Dr. José Antonio Abreu will be given by Thomas Rietschel, President of the Academy for Music and the Performing Arts in Frankfurt am Main. Conducted by Prof. Thomas Clamor, the brass ensemble of the orchestra will play in honour of the holder of the Frankfurt Music Prize.
The Frankfurt Music Prize on the Musikmesse website
The official Sistema internet site
