A Mi Maestro

Maestro José Antonio Abreu and Gustavo Dudamel.

This was the first time in the history of Latin America such an international ensemble — combining musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela — joined with young people from South America for a musical and pedagogical project building bridges and uniting cultures.

The two A mi Maestro concerts, conducted by Gustavo, were dedicated to Maestro Abreu’s memory and to the hundreds of El Sistema-inspired programs around the world. The program consisted of some of Maestro Abreu’s favorite symphonic pieces including Wagner’s Prelude to Act I from Lohengrin, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

Read the Program Notes

In recognition of his commitment to young people, education, and combating social inequalities through the arts, the National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA) of Chile selected Gustavo to receive the prestigious Pablo Neruda Order of Artistic and Cultural Merit, named after one of the artistic giants of Latin America who, in his time, was a champion of culture, education, and social justice. In many ways, Pablo Neruda’s values echoes those of Maestro Abreu and the spirit of El Sistema, as well as those of Gustavo and his Foundation.

In celebration of Maestro Abreu's impact on young people everywhere, Gustavo’s A mi Maestro concerts at CorpArtes in Santiago are available to audiences across the globe on Medici.tv.

Partnership & Support

We thank our generous partners for helping to make these concerts a reality — Fundación CorpArtes, National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and Youth, Children's Orchestras Foundation of Chile (FOJI), Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, the National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA) of Chile, and the Lloyd E. Rigler – Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.