ARTISTS

Orchestra YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF CARACAS

PROFILE

“The beautiful and brand new Youth Orchestra of Caracas is a promise of future in Venezuelan music”
Maestro José Antonio Abreu
 
The Youth Orchestra of Caracas has now become one of the most representative Orchestras of the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela, founded by Maestro José Antonio Abreu 36 years ago. This orchestra has 175 members from 14 to 22 years old. This talented musicians group is inheritors of an extraordinary generation that has left its mark: the former Simon Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, now Simon Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.
 
It represents one of the most important achievements of El Sistema, together with the "Simon Bolívar" Conservatory of Music, and has the institutional sponsorship of the Mayor of Caracas. Besides playing the symphonic repertoire with complex works of the most renowned composers and chamber music at the highest level, they also play specific programs of Latin American Music, which includes, with special emphasis a Venezuelan composer’s orchestral repertoire.
 
Its Musical Conductor is the young musician Dietrich Paredes, one of the leading conductors, with a greater future of El Sistema, a student of Maestro José Antonio Abreu and member of the first violins of the “Simon Bolívar” Youth Orchestra of Venezuela. He has performed as guest conductor with Monagas State Symphony Orchestra, “Simon Bolívar” Symphony of Táchira State, Mérida State Symphony, Falcon State Youth Symphony and Bows of Venezuela.
 
The Youth Orchestra of Caracas has a special bond with Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, who was its lead conductor. Every time he is in Venezuela, Maestro Dudamel conducts the orchestra in repertoires with highly technical work.
 
 “2010 is ending full of music, with a wonderful orchestra. 10 years ago Maestro Abreu gave me the opportunity to be lead conductor of this orchestra. Now I see and meet many new faces. I am impressed by the high level of all these musicians” Gustavo Dudamel said on Sunday December 19th after leading the Orchestra at the Simon Bolívar Concert Hall of National Social Action Center for Music, playing Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony N° 7 in A Major and Camille Saint-Saens´ Symphony No. 3 "Organ" in C minor.
 
The orchestra has been also conducted by the Venezuelan Maestros Eduardo Marturet, Florian Ebersberg, Eddy Marcano, Rubén Capriles, Edgar Pronio, Ulyses Ascanio, Manuel López, Pablo Castellanos, Rafael Payare, and the international Maestros Isaac Karabtchevsky from Brazil, Missa Johnouchi from Japan and Sung Kwak from Korea. Most of the best Venezuelan soloists have performed with the orchestra.
 
Its musicians have been immersed in an intensive training program with different national and international maestros. Henning Trog, Bassoon performer and member of the Berlin Philharmonic, was working with the Orchestra in February 2011 and states that "the Youth Orchestra of Caracas has an enormous potential. I have worked with them and they are excellent students, have a great ability to learn and I'm sure we'll see them soon on a European tour. "
 
2010 was very important for the consolidation of the Youth Orchestra of Caracas in Venezuela with a memorable concerts season, in several of the most emblematic concert halls of the country as Ríos Reyna Concert Hall of the Teresa Carreño Theater and Simon Bolívar Concert Hall of National Social Action Center for Music, where they performed a demanding repertoire with works by Verdi, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Beethoven, Saint-Saens, Shostakovich, Mahler and Chopin, among others.
 
Maestro Sunk Kwak said “I am impressed by the high level of this orchestra. I have being coming to Venezuela for the past 18 years and each trip represents a new and pleasant surprise; one of them has been the Youth Orchestra of Caracas. I'm surprised how quickly they assimilated the most difficult passages. I'm sure we will soon see this great orchestra on international stages around the world”.
 
The orchestra also has an intensive training in the areas of collective and individual practice and plays an important role in the chamber music field, through the systematic creation of several ensembles, where all instrument rows performers interact.
 
In 2011 the Orchestra made its international debut at the Bergen International Music Festival and in Oslo with an astonishing success, followed by a highly acclaimed tour to Asia with concerts in China and Korea. In 2012 the orchestra’s touring work included concerts in Lisbon, Porto, Oslo, Ravello Festival, the Dvorak Prague Festival, Saint Petersburg, Flanders International Festival, Vienna Konzerthaus and Beethoven Festival in Bonn. Plans for 2013 include concerts at Salzburg Festival as part of an historic El Sistema residency involving over 1,000 young musicians.

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