Encuentros LA 2022

The Dudamel Foundation and the LA Phil Co-Present
Encuentros LA 2022
Summer Music Education And Global Leadership Program For Young Orchestra Musicians

Under the leadership of Gustavo Dudamel and María Valverde, the Dudamel Foundation and the LA Phil will co-present LA Encuentros 2022, their first Encuentros (Encounters) in the United States, July 19–August 6, 2022.

Encuentros is a global music education program that explores cultural unity and celebrates harmony, equality, dignity, beauty and respect through music, with the goal of inspiring and teaching a new generation of young leaders to work toward building a better world. The young musicians will also participate in community initiatives, mentorship opportunities with the YOLA National Festival and projects throughout Los Angeles, culminating with concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley.

In honor of the Hollywood Bowl’s first 100 seasons, over 100 top-tier young musicians (ages 18–26) from the Americas and around the world—from 34 youth orchestra and El Sistema-inspired programs in 23 countries—will work side-by-side in the Encuentros Orchestra.

Capping the two-week orchestral training festival, Gustavo Dudamel, the Encuentros Orchestra and members of YOLA (Youth Orchestra Los Angeles) are joined by multi-Grammy-winning vocalist, bassist and composer esperanza spalding—who recently took home a 2022 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Celebrating the next generation of arts leaders, Musical Encounters with Dudamel and esperanza spalding will include a world premiere LA Phil commission by award-winning composer and El Sistema alum Giancarlo Castro. A three-city concert tour kicks off at the Hollywood Bowl on August 2, 2022, with performances in partnership with Cal Performances at UC Berkeley’s William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre on August 4, 2022.

*Gustavo Dudamel with the Orquesta del Encuentro 2021. Photo: Samantha Lopez.*

LA Phil Chief Executive Officer and David C. Bohnett Chief Executive Officer Chair Chad Smith said, “When Gustavo first joined us more than a decade ago, we never could have predicted that YOLA, the seed he planted in South LA with just 70 students, would blossom into this—a completely interconnected and global expression of our shared values of access, inclusion and the sheer power of music to transform the lives of individuals and communities. Every aspect of our organization, from YOLA to YOLA National to our Dudamel Fellows to our musicians and audiences, is engaged in LA Encuentros 2022, and we couldn’t be more excited to see it all come together on the Hollywood Bowl stage.”

During the intensive orchestral global leadership and music training program, workshops and rehearsals will be conducted by Dudamel and LA Phil Dudamel conducting fellows with additional sectionals and masterclasses led by a faculty of musicians from the LA Phil and guest artists from top orchestras from around the globe, including the Berliner Philharmoniker, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Opéra National de Paris, Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Chile and SWR Symphonieorchester Stuttgart.

LA Phil Music & Artistic Director and Dudamel Foundation Co-Chair Gustavo Dudamel explained, “I have always believed that every child should be given the opportunity to learn at the highest level. And so it is a dream for María and me to be able to create this beautiful Encuentros, where talented young musicians from around the world get the chance to work with some of the most incredible artists in our field. We are trying to build a community together, founded on empathy, discipline, respect and inclusion.”

Dudamel Foundation Co-Chair María Valverde added, “This shared experience is not just about making music, it is the cultural, social and spiritual act of creation. Sharing conversations and experiences with these incredible role models will offer all of us a space to experiment and to grow, and together we hope to inspire the leaders of a new generation to build a better world together.”

Career training sessions on leadership and social change will explore the power and use of language, how to leverage social and digital media to share stories, and audience education around diversity of experience, and create pathways for a mission-driven career in music. Small group and one-on-one meetings will encourage shared learning and career training for young musicians to delve into a range of important issues: portfolio development, arts management, communications and public relations, and interviewing skills and networking.

Focusing on the idea of reciprocal mentorship, each of the Dudamel Foundation artists will be paired with YOLA National students who they will serve as mentors, role models and peers. In turn, each of the Dudamel Foundation artists will be mentored by world class teaching artists from the LA Phil and around the world.

Cultural exchange and dialogue will be encouraged through a series of public and private talks and discussions hosted by friends and colleagues, with additional details to be announced.

The Encuentros Festival is generously supported by Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen.