Our Team
Gustavo Dudamel, co-chair
Gustavo Dudamel with the Trenton Youth Orchestra.
From the United Nations to humble town squares to the great concert halls of the world, Gustavo Dudamel is driven by the belief that access to the arts is an essential catalyst for learning, integration and social change. Whether at home with his Los Angeles Philharmonic or touring to orchestras of the Americas, Europe or Asia, Gustavo continues to encourage projects that demonstrate the extraordinary capacity of art to transform the lives of children worldwide.
This commitment is fueled by his own transformative experience in Venezuela's El Sistema, a program initiated in 1975 by Maestro José Antonio Abreu with the goal of promoting social development through music education. Over forty years later, programs modeled on Maestro Abreu's vision are active in over 100 countries, providing millions of young people around the world with free access to quality, intensive music education.
Gustavo has made it his central mission to expand access to art for young people while providing opportunities for individual empowerment and social justice. Working with international musical, educational, and philanthropic partners through the projects of the Foundation, he continues to expand the reach and relevance of music and the arts as forces for positive societal transformation — for today and for future generations.
María Valverde, co-chair
María Valverde in conversation at the Hollywood Bowl, Encuentros LA. Photo by Maria Evelyn.
María Valverde is an actress, director, producer, and humanitarian who has served as Dudamel Foundation co-chair since 2018. María is active in planning educational opportunities through the Foundation that promote individual empowerment and social change. María plays a leading role in creating the Foundation’s Encuentros programs and planning initiatives that inspire young people to be positive role models in their communities.
Born and raised in Madrid, Spain, María was fascinated, since childhood, by the world of acting. In 2003, she made her major screen debut in Manuel Martin Cuenca’s La Flaqueza del Bolchevique, for which she won Best New Actress at the 18th Goya Awards at 16 years old. Throughout her career, she has starred in various film projects worldwide, working with directors Luca Guadagnino, Jordan Scott, Alberto Arvelo, Ridley Scott, Asif Kapadia, Mélanie Laurent, Cédric Klapisch, Andrés Wood, and Claudia Llosa, among others.
María is inspired by the belief that music and arts education is a key for inclusion in a better world.
Board of Directors
Gustavo Dudamel, co-chair
María Valverde, co-chair
Penelope Boehm, treasurer
Anne T. Dowling, president emeritus
Director of Programs
Jacob Slattery
Strategic Development
Alex Villari
Marketing Specialist & Website Manager
Erin Lensing
International Media Advisor
Willy Villarreal
Media Advisor
Andrew Ousley
Stylist & Designer
Cindy Figueroa
Special Thanks
Frank Gehry
Alberto Arvelo
Gabriela Camejo
Cindy Figueroa
Gaudy Sánchez
Daniel Vielma
Our Story
The Dudamel Foundation collaborates with institutions across the globe to enrich lives through cultural democracy, civic engagement, and community dialogue.