Caracas Youth Symphony
“Ten years ago, maestro Abreu gave me the opportunity of performing as conductor of the orchestra. Now I see many new faces, but I feel impressed of such a high level and of such great talent of all these musicians�. Gustavo Dudamel, 2010
Caracas Youth Symphony Always in Molto Vivace! The Caracas Youth Symphony is a passionate orchestra. Its sound becomes a force of attraction and its impetuous attitude on the stage, filled with simplicity, conquers even the most skeptical ones. Whenever you go to a performance by the Caracas Youth Symphony, not only do you listen to the concert, you live it along with the orchestra. The capacity these youngsters have to express emotions is infinite, and their enthusiasm is contagious. Their secret lies in their liveliness, in playing with their hearts. Due to their spirit, always in Molto Vivace, the Caracas Youth Symphony musicians do not know of fear. They are capable of playing pieces that make the heart of the most experienced musicians tremble. Thanks to this nerve, they have the broadest repertoire, more than any other youth orchestra in Venezuela. This is possible because they have the vocation of those who believe they can realize their dreams; this is so because behind the music stand, in each musician, not only is there talent, but also
effort, perseverance, discipline, commitment, tenacity, capacity to innovate, values associated to the most successful projects in the world in every sphere. Dietrich Paredes, music conductor of the orchestra, is one of the most experienced batons educated in Venezuela, and is also one of the people who has promoted next generations in the country´s orchestra direction. He and his orchestra do not keep track of timetables, for they only fight to fulfill one goal: excellence. The musicians from the Caracas Youth Symphony live and make us live music as a source of energy and hope. They believe and make us believe in the future of music. When joining ourselves to their determination, we are also connecting to them in their yearning to believe in mankind and his capacity to create. When joining them, we are joining their lifestyle: always in Molto Vivace!
Founded in
Most important theater pieces
National Centre for the Performing Arts, China; Grand Auditorium of the Gulbenkian Foundation in Portugal, Oslo Konserthus and Bergen Grieghallen in Norway, Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium, Mariinsky Concert Hall in Italy, Rudolfinum Theater in Russia, Konzerthaus in Vienna, Check Republic, Beethovenhalle in Austria, Felsenreitschule in Salzburg Germany, Austria, Tokyo Metropolitan Arts Space in Japan, Bunka Koryu Kankan Theater in Seoul, Seoul Arts Center and Kyung Bok Gung Palace in South Korea.
1980
Resident conductors Luis Virgüez, María Octavia Issa, Rubén, Capriles, Rodolfo Saglimbeni, Ulyses Ascanio and Gustavo Dudamel
by Maestro José Antonio Abreu
Conductor
Dietrich Paredes
SYC CARACAS YOUTH SYMPHONY
190
musicians with ages ranging from 14 to 28 years old
Tours May-June 2011 in Norway October 2011 in Asia May-June 2012 in Portugal and Norway September- October 2012 in Italy, Russia, Prague, Belgium, Austria and Germany July 2013 in Salzburg October 2013 in Japan and South Korea
Venezuelan conductors Gustavo Dudamel, Eduardo Marturet, Manuel López-Gómez, Christian Vásquez, Leafar Riobueno and Pablo Castellanos and Diego Matheuz
International conductors Florian Ebersberg, Georg Mark, Patrick Lang, Missa Johnouchi, Hideyo Takakuwa, Isaac Karabtchevsky, Sung Kwak and Leon Botstein
The world
Tamás Vasary, pianist and conductor “This concert of the Caracas Youth Symphony in China is proof of something important: which country in the world can be capable of touring several youth orchestras with such a unique program as this? The answer to this question lies in the achievements of both El Sistema and in Venezuela. The whole world is standing, applauding what is musically happening in Venezuela and the phenomenon that this country is exporting to other continents.
at their feet
100% energy
Artistic quality
Ilona Schmiel, conductor, Beethoven Festival “The concert of the Caracas Youth Symphony this very night was absolutely brilliant and outstanding. This was their debut in Germany and I still feel thrilled and moved. These young musicians are marvelous, and I deeply admire the work they carry out in Venezuela; it is unique. I would love to hear this orchestra again as soon as possible”.
Jan Beckman, Dramen Theater Conductor “Listening to the orchestra playing tonight has been so thrilling, so beautiful, that I wept a couple of times. I feel very much moved. This orchestra is so magnificent that everyone here at the theater felt an emotional shock”.
Vladimir Darjanin, conductor at the Dvorak Festival, 2012 “The Caracas Youth Symphony is a youth orchestra, but it performs as a professional orchestra. Their performance was magnificent. Young conductor, Dietrich Paredes, had an exceptional performance, and now he joins the great conductors who have performed in this festival. It meant a lot to us having an orchestra of El Sistema in our programming. This was something our audience was longing for. We hope we can still listen to Venezuelan orchestras in subsequent festival editions”.
Stepehan Barrat Due, conductor at the Barrat Due School “It is incredible, the enthusiasm of the orchestra as a whole and the feeling of so many people looking for the same lead. This youth orchestra gives a 100% of energy and Dietrich Paredes has done a marvelous job”.
Dietrich Paredes Conductor Dietrich Paredes has an elegant technique when conducting, a clear performance with discipline, work capacity, talent and communicating skills. Thanks to some of these qualities, the voices of maestros including Sung Kwak, Gustavo Dudamel or Stéphane Lissner have stood out. This Venezuelan musician studied in El Sistema and is one of the country´s most prominent orchestra conductors. Paredes has stated that music was an element that forged his life´s destiny. He found music for the first time at the age of four, when he was given a violin. When playing, he began to enjoy the touch of the instrument and the sounds it made. After turning 8, he became a violinist
in the San Agustín Children’s Orchestra. He studied under the guidance of Rubén Cova, Ulyses Ascanio, Santiago Garmendia and José Francisco del Castillo. His teachers showed him the possibility of considering music a trade, but to achieve this, he was required to work hard, be disciplined, and perseverant. At the age of 11, his effort bore fruit: he won the first prize at the 3rd International Encounter of Children and Youth Soloists in Argentina. As a result of this contest, his motivation and dedication to studying the instrument became more intensive. He was awarded the Aaron Rosand scholarship, earned a seat in the first violinists row for the inaugural tour of the Americas Youth Orchestra, and as he practiced playing the violin, the opportunity
and desire of becoming a conductor began to grow. Paredes decided to become an orchestra conductor following the same working principles: effort, discipline and perseverance. The spirit he gives to his trade can be seen during the orchestra´s rehearsals, where he economizes in words and communicates with energy. As a conductor, he spares no gestures. This personality is what balances the temper of the Caracas Youth Symphony, the orchestra he leads and proudly qualifies as being “unique and versatile” with the largest repertoire any other youth orchestra has in the country.
On June, 2011 the Caracas Youth Symphony toured the world for the first time. 170 musicians performed in the cities of Bergen and Oslo, Norway. The batons of both Dietrich Paredes and Christian Vásquez were in charge of conducting the performances of the orchestra at the International Bergen Festival and the Oslo Music Academy.
The Caracas Symphony Orchestra´s first tour to Asia was made on October, 2011. The Caracas Symphony Orchestra performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, in Beijing; and in the Arts Centre in Seoul. It also played a concert at the Ewha University, where Dietrich Paredes passed on the baton to the orchestra´s first violinist, Andrés Rivas.
By the end of May, 2012 and early June, 2012, the Caracas Symphony Orchestra toured for the third time, visiting Portugal for the first time and back to Norway. In the Portuguese country, the orchestra met the Geração Orchestra, and while in Norway, it participated in the creation of the Norwegian-Venezuelan Binational Symphony Orchestra (NOVE).
Italy, Russia, The Check Republic, Belgium, Austria and Germany were the countries visited by the Caracas Symphony Orchestra on its fourth international tour. During this period, the orchestra´s musicians performed at the Ravello Festival, the Dvorak Festival and the Beethoven Festival, under the leading baton of Dietrich Paredes, Andrés Rivas and Jesús Uzcátegui.
On July, 2013, the Caracas Symphony Orchestra´s musicians performed in Salzburg to participate, alongside with other seven orchestras, at the Arts Residence where El Sistema played a major role at the Salzburg Festival in Austria. In that same country, the Caracas Symphony Orchestra became the first foreign orchestra that officially opened the music event.
On the occasion of its sixth international tour, the Caracas Symphony Orchestra made its debut in Japan and flew back to South Korea. Hiroshima, Tokyo, Chiba and Seoul were the cities visited by the orchestra. During its tour, the Caracas Symphony Orchestra shared the stage with pianist Mami Hagiwara, the Venezuelan double bass player Edicson Ruiz and conductors Leon Botstein, Michiyoshi Inoue, and Chae Eun Suk.
Lorena Rodríguez was raised in 23 de Enero, one of the lowest-income slums in Caracas. When she was a little girl, doctors told her she would be eye-impaired.
There are no limitations for José Terán. His left hand´s congenital malformation hasn´t stopped him. He began studying music at the age of 12 in the Puerto Cabello orchestral center. For 8 years, he was founder and member of the Carabobo Youth Orchestra, and earned a seat in the trumpet row of the Caracas Symphony Orchestra. Today, at the age of 25, he claims that El Sistema has taught him the value of work, of study, humbleness and, more than anything, the value of teaching others”.
The diagnosis came with the following sentence: “You will not be an independent person”. Lorena was determined to change the course of her fate. At the age of 11, she enrolled in El Sistema, Propatria orchestral center, and has been a Caracas Symphony Orchestra percussionist for 8 years. She attends rehearsals and concerts by herself, and goes to class at the Central University of Venezuela, where she will soon graduate as Bachelor of Arts in Literature. At the age of 17, it is very clear for Miguel Castillo that he will be a professional musician. “I was born for this”, he states absolutely convinced. Safety, sense of purpose, and willingness are encouraging concepts he owes to El Sistema. This young violinist began studying music in the Propatria orchestral center, a deprived area in the Venezuelan capital. Today, he was awarded a place at the row of violins in the Caracas Symphony Orchestra. He studies high school and practices with his instrument, attends violin class at the orchestral center that has seen him grow.
Fundamusical Simón Bolívar
National System of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela 39 years ago, the National System of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela was merely a dream of some 11 young musicians. It was a book written in future tense by José Antonio Abreu. Today, the lines of the book are written in present tense, and the dream has been realized considerably. This program has a Venezuelan stamp, and has become a pedagogical model with export quality. El Sistema is both a social and cultural program from the Venezuelan state, belonging to the Simón Bolívar Music Foundation. It was founded in 1975 by the Venezuelan musician
Maestro José Antonio Abreu. Currently, it has 300 “orchestral centers” or branches throughout the national territory, where 500,000 children and adolescents are taught by an academic staff of 6,000 teachers. El Sistema comprises 400 Youth, Children and Pre-School Children orchestras; 342 Youth and Children choirs; 22 Academic Centers for Instrument Making and Repair; 8 Centers with Correctional Facility Orchestral Programs and 14 states with Special Education Programs. Performance and dissemination of Venezuelan traditional music stand out in el Sistema through the Alma Llanera Program, which is present in all the country´s branches. It also has several Hospital Programs, where care is given to children and youth who suffer chronic diseases; as well as the Program of New Members, where newborns benefit from music as of an early age.
El Sistema has sought of finding new music possibilities and the Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music has performed a wide variety of music genres of popular music, including jazz, symphonic rock, Latin American and Caribbean music, as well as Afro-Venezuelan rhythms. The impact El Sistema has had worldwide has placed Venezuela and its young musicians in the most prestigious stages in the world. They have been awarded with the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts and UNESCO´s International Music Prize. El Sistema has inspired over 65 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Africa, where the Venezuelan model has already been replicated, showing it is a real and sustainable alternative for education, peace and progress in favor of the children of today and the future.
Maestro José Antonio Abreu Founder of the National System of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela A dream-maker and a destiny builder A musician, composer, orchestra conductor, cultural manager, public servant and teacher. He was born on May, 7th, 1939, in the city of Valera, Trujillo state (Venezuela). In 1957, at the age of 18, he decided to move to the city of Caracas, where he enrolled in the Higher School of Music José Ángel Lamas and became a disciple of Vicente Emilio Sojo, with whom he studied composition; Moisés Moleiro, his piano teacher, and Evencio Castellanos, who taught him organ and harpsichord. In 1964, he graduated as Performer-Teacher and Maestro Composer. He later studied Orchestra Conducting along with Maestro Gonzalo Castellanos Yumar and started working as Guest Conductor, and organ soloist of the main Venezuelan orchestras at the moment, especially the Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.
His enterprising spirit has driven him to set himself a challenging goal: in 1975, he founded the Juan José Landaeta National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, the beginning of the currently successful and worldwide renowned Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. During that same year, Abreu faced up the most important challenge of his life: he executed a complicated, clever project, that is, a social nationalistic music network of worldwide scope known today as the National System of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela. Apart from his musical trajectory, Abreu also forged a promising professional career as a planner and economist, graduating from the Andrés Bello Catholic University and the Pennsylvania University. Between 1988 and 1994, he was appointed State Minister for Culture and Chairman of the Na-
tional Council for Culture (CONAC). Thanks to the success of the Cultural Program of Social Action through Music, which is oriented towards rescuing and educating children of lower-income strata, Maestro Abreu has been awarded with countless prizes worldwide, including: Unesco´s Ambassador for Peace and Goodwill; the Polar Prize, he was considered as a Nobel for Music; the Frederick Stock Prize; Légion d’honneur of France; Honorary Grammy; the Yehudi Menuhin Prize; Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts; Unicef Prize; Special Peace Prize, International Music Festival of Abu Dhabi and the Right Livelihood Award. He was also awarded honorary degrees Doctor Honoris Causa from over 15 Venezuelan and foreign universities.
CARACAS YOUTH SYMPHONY
Armando Medina Nicolás Medina Guillermo Maita Lina Yamin Founding Sophia Guahnich Director Wolfgang Graterol José Antonio Johana Muñoz Abreu Andrés Martínez Greimer Parra Executive Emmanuel Director Barrios Eduardo Méndez Marlly Palacios Yeiry Castillo Deputy Veruzka Loureiro Executive Jesús Muñoz Director Paola Nava Valdemar Rodríguez VIOLINS II Jesús Uzcátegui Musical Director Marialejandra Dietrich Paredes Vásquez Nelson Mendoza General Fabiola Galvis Manager Marlen Larez Maibel Kervi Bravo Castellanos Kristhian Barbella Aronig González VIOLINS I Lucila Reyes Andrés Rivas * Orlando Pérez Roderick Lucia Rodríguez Labrador * Robert Ramos Franklin Bolívar * Juny Granado Jesús Larez * Katherine Luces David Bordoli Deborah Delgado Miguel Chacón Anabelle Pargana Brandon Sulbaran Emeli Martínez Miguel Castillo Dayana Torres Franklin Pacheco Ámbar Rico Jesús Peña Paula Carmona Yasmary Márquez José Astudillo Daniela Peña Rafael Dommar
Bany Graterol Faycela González Michel Rosa Willy Arteaga Alfredo Marvez Estefanía Tineo Wilmary Torrez
Johanna Mora Luis David Rivas Marilyn Quintero Gregory Izquierdo Eudo Vargas Vicky Pérez Yetzabel Ramírez Virginia Gómez VIOLAS Rafael Terán Melissa Peraza Marlín Ramos Andrés Maurette Laura Laya Celia Eliaz Mijares Samuel Ramírez DOUBLEBASSES Johan Rondón Carlos Rodríguez Jesús Parra Ismer Bolívar Edward Machado Nathaly Algindi Hugo Hung Erika Perera Nereida Vasquez Mario García Yancris Luis Ramos Betancourt José Velasco Ismael Infante Marian Castro Gabriela Mejías Leinot Hernández Winston Costero Rubén Rodríguez Zulibeth Torres Fernando Caicedo Christopher Erick Martínez Alvaray Edilyn López Rodrigo Jose Lima Rodríguez Gabriela Martínez FLUTES Loidmary VIOLONCELLOS Perenguez Beideth Briceño Raúl Pimentel Joanmary Montes Sabrina Sala Juan Manuel Patricia La Pietra Trujillo Christy Camba Mariluz Alcalá Rossmary Rangel Adriana Carmen Delgado Hernández Karla Ontiveros Daniela Navas Aquilino Camacho OBOES Gisselle Burgos Johnneils Francois
Pedro Escudero Akira Barrios Katiuska Torres Luis Urbaneja Siraynat Milano Gilmar Urbina
Leyxer Cardoza José Fabián Tuiran Carlos Escalona Antonio D’addona Rodolfo Sucre Danny Escalante Meyderson Rada Luis David Melo Elías Ortega Daniel Vásquez Jhon Carrero José Terán
CLARINETS Karim Somaza Henry Pérez Jesús Ramírez Erick Cordero Jairo Zambrano Jorman Parejo TROMBONES Freyner Remolina Jorge Villalba Andrés Nieves Joel Rivas Morris Rodríguez BASSONS Emmanuel Rubén Vargas Torcatt Desirée Baloa Christopher Luis Querales Gutiérrez Josué Osorio Ángel Oliveros Selene Salgado Miguel Cedeño Daniela Rodriguez Jhoan Murillo Hermmys Mora HORNS Juan Madriz Carlos Martínez Edgar López Víctor Oviedo Héctor Mínguez Jorge Gamboa Jeassell Estrada TUBAS Ali González Félix Alvarado Walter Mosquera Ramón Brito Miguel Hurtado Jesús Pérez Lisbeth Pereira PERCUSSION Deicy Restrepo José Hernández Daniela Díaz Claudio Martínez Karely Torrez Rubén Vásquez Simón Salcedo Lorena Rodríguez Evelio Ramírez TRUMPETS Carlos Vargas Josué Omaña José Colina
David Auli José Guerrero Alirio Torrealba HARPS Jesús Rosales Douglas Dugarte PIANO Marines Rodríguez Concertino * Guest Musicians ** COORDINATOR Yanetsis Alemán LOGISTICS Cristina Aguilera Alex Aponte COORDINATOR AND MUSICAL ARCHIVES Rubenangel Casanova Anderson Norato TECHNICAL STAFF Dennys Pérez Mauro Urbina Wilfredo Rojas Wilmer Rodríguez
Support to the Caracas Youth Symphony The main way to compensate the performance of every youngster who plays in the Caracas Youth Symphony is through the acquisition of music instruments and high level accessories for the exclusive use of these musicians. When enhancing the quality of these instruments, these youngsters will be able to develop their musical skills, gain confidence and cultivate their sense of responsibility. The new instruments shall contribute to the orchestra´s high level sonority. Better quality instruments that will have a direct influence in sound quality, giving the orchestra a new dimension
and preparing it to the challenge of performing in the most important concert halls in the world. This is a significant asset for the fulfilment of the project´s social goals and the development of the orchestra´s self-esteem. Support from private companies will ensure future professional achievement and the fulfillment of practically any objective. In our experience, we have created strategic alliances that have allowed us to further develop the artistic potential of our children and youth. The contribution made by the Hilti Foundation is a clear example of this. For over six years, they have
Support to future international tours OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2014 Hungary EUROPE Concert Halle Vatroslav Lisinski Cité de la Musique – Paris, France Zagreb, Croatia Tonnhalle - Zurich, Switzerland Trento, Italy Laeiszhalle - Hamburg, Germany Musikverein - Vienna, Austria The Liszt Academy - Budapest, Konserthuset - Gothenburg, Sweden
supported music perfection and excellence by donating new and high quality instruments, to both the Simón Bolívar Symphony of Venezuela and the Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony of Venezuela. “Improving the quality of our orchestras’ instruments will contribute to enhancing our music performance, moreover, its resonance will reach concert halls, master classes and our teaching work around the world whenever to depart to our future tours, thus spreading the gift of music to every nation for many years”. Maestro Gustavo Dudamel
AUGUST 2015 MILAN Within the framework of El Sistema´s Residence in Milan
FUNDAMUSICAL fundamusicalbolivar @elsistema
www.fundamusical.org.ve Design: Kelianny Riera Photography: FundaMusical Sim贸n Bol铆var Print: Queiroz Publicidad C.A.