José Antonio Abreu Anselmi (May 7, 1939 – March 24, 2018) was a
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
n orchestra conductor, pianist, economist, educator, activist, and politician best known for his association with
El Sistema
El Sistema (which translates to The System) is a publicly financed, voluntary sector, music-education program, founded in Venezuela in 1975 by Venezuelan educator, musician, and activist José Antonio Abreu.Lesniak It later adopted the motto "M ...
. He was honored with the 2009
Latin Grammy Trustees Award, an honor given to people who have contributed to music by the
Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences
pt, Academia Latina da Gravação
, image = Latin_grammy_logo_(2022).png
, image_border =
, size = 150px
, caption =
, map =
, msize =
, mcaption =
, motto =
, formation =
, extinction ...
.
Politics and academics
Born in the small Andean city of Valera,
Abreu graduated with a ''
summa cum laude'' as an economist at
Universidad Católica Andres Bello
Universidad (Spanish for "university") may refer to:
Places
* Universidad, San Juan, Puerto Rico
* Universidad (Madrid)
Football clubs
* Universidad SC, a Guatemalan football club that represents the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala
...
in Caracas.
For many years, his official biography stated that he had been awarded a PhD degree in Petroleum Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, but El Sistema withdrew this claim in December 2017. He was elected as a Deputy at the Chamber of Deputies in the Congress of Venezuela in 1963. He served as director of planning at Cordiplan. After his political career, he also worked as a professor of economics and law at
Universidad Simón Bolívar and his
alma mater. He would return to politics in 1988 to serve as Minister of Culture and president of the National Council of Culture, posts he held until 1993 and 1994, respectively.
Music
Abreu moved to Caracas in 1957 to study composition.
Abreu later studied music with Doralisa Jiménez de Medina in
Barquisimeto
Barquisimeto (; guc, Watkisimeeta) is a city in Venezuela. It is the capital of the state of Lara and head of Iribarren Municipality. It is an important urban, industrial, commercial and transportation center of the country, recognized as the f ...
. Later, he attended the Caracas Musical Declamation Academy in 1957, where he studied
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
with
Moisés Moleiro,
organ and
harpsichord with
Evencio Castellanos, and composition with
Vicente Emilio Sojo
Vicente Emilio Sojo (December 8, 1887 – August 11, 1974) was a Venezuelan musicologist, educator and composer, born in Guatire, Miranda (state), Miranda.
Biography
Vicente Emilio Sojo was born to a musical family. Most notable was the fact t ...
. In 1967, he received the Symphonic Music National Prize for his musical ability. It was in 1975 that he founded
El Sistema
El Sistema (which translates to The System) is a publicly financed, voluntary sector, music-education program, founded in Venezuela in 1975 by Venezuelan educator, musician, and activist José Antonio Abreu.Lesniak It later adopted the motto "M ...
,
formally known as the Foundation for the National Network of Youth and Children Orchestras of Venezuela.
This was an innovative youth education method in which music was the primary avenue for social and intellectual improvement. He received the National Music Prize for this work at El Sistema in 1979. Under Abreu's guidance, El Sistema has participated in exchange and cooperation programmes with Canada,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, Latin American countries and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
Abreu was the founder of the
Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra
The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela ( es, Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela) is a Venezuelan orchestra. Named after the Venezuelan national hero Simón Bolívar, it is the apex of the nation's system of youth orches ...
.
Teacher
Abreu was the teacher to several generations of Venezuelan classical music performers, including
Gustavo Dudamel
Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born 26 January 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist who is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera.
Early life
Dudamel was ...
, the musical director of the
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at the ...
.
Awards and recognition
In 1993, El Sistema was awarded the famous IMC-UNESCO International Music Prize in the institution class. UNESCO also appointed Abreu as a Special Ambassador for the Development of a Global Network of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs in 1995 and as a special representative for the development of network of orchestras within the framework of UNESCO's "World Movement of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs". This project was created in the context of an inter-disciplinary project "Towards a Culture of Peace". He co-ordinates the programme through the UNESCO office in
Caracas. He was also designated a Goodwill Ambassador by UNESCO in 1998.
![Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Sim%C3%B3n_Bol%C3%ADvar_Symphony_Orchestra_of_Venezuela.jpg)
In 2001, Abreu was honoured with a
Right Livelihood Award and was honored with the
World Culture Open
World Culture Open (WCO) is a non-profit organization that promotes cultural diversity and unprejudiced cultural exchange around the globe. WCO has its regional offices in New York City, Seoul, and Beijing.
Mission
World Culture Open believes ...
Creative Arts Award in 2004. Among his numerous awards are the
Order of the Rising Sun, Grand Cordon (Japan, 2007), the
Glenn Gould Prize
The Glenn Gould Prize is an international award bestowed by the Glenn Gould Foundation in memory of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould. It is awarded every second year to a living individual for contributions that have enriched the human condition thro ...
(Canada, 2008), the Puccini International Prize (Italy, 2008), the Q Prize with former student and protégé
Gustavo Dudamel
Gustavo Adolfo Dudamel Ramírez (born 26 January 1981) is a Venezuelan conductor and violinist who is the music director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera.
Early life
Dudamel was ...
(USA, 2008) and honorary memberships at the Royal Philharmonic Society (2008, United Kingdom) and the Beethoven-Haus Society (Germany, 2008). Abreu is also co-founder and vice-chairman of
YOA Orchestra of the Americas
The Orchestra of the Americas (OA) is a Latin Grammy Award winning symphony orchestra of musical leaders, ages 18 to 30, representing more than 25 countries of the Western Hemisphere.
Leadership
The orchestra is guided by Artistic Advisor Plácido ...
.
When the
B'nai B'rith
B'nai B'rith International (, from he, בְּנֵי בְּרִית, translit=b'né brit, lit=Children of the Covenant) is a Jewish service organization. B'nai B'rith states that it is committed to the security and continuity of the Jewish peo ...
Venezuelan brand gave Abreu their B'nai B'rith Human Rights Award in 2008, Abreu succinctly summarized the goal of El Sistema and of his life's work by saying, "In the struggle for Human Rights, let us vigorously incorporate children's sublime right to music, in whose bosom shines Beingness in its splendor and its ineffable mystery. Let us reveal to our children the beauty of music and music shall reveal to our children the beauty of life.".
In 2008, the
Prince of Asturias Awards
The Princess of Asturias Awards ( es, Premios Princesa de Asturias, links=no, ast, Premios Princesa d'Asturies, links=no), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 ( es, Premios Príncipe de Asturias, links=no), are a series of a ...
for arts was awarded to El Sistema and Abreu accepted it in his capacity of director. In 2009, Abreu received the Crystal Award of the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
and the
TED Prize
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
, which consists of 100,000 dollars and one wish to change the world. The description for his awards is a clear description of the work he does at El Sistema as it reads, "the maestro who's transformed the lives of tens of thousands of kids... through classical music".
On May 12, 2009, Abreu was awarded the
Polar Music Prize
The Polar Music Prize is a Swedish international award founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Swedish band ABBA, with a donation to the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. The award is annually given to one contemporar ...
, given by the
Royal Swedish Academy of Music
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music ( sv, Kungliga Musikaliska Akademien), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden. At the time of its foundation, only one of its co-founder was a professional musician, Ferdin ...
. Abreu and
Peter Gabriel, who also won, were presented with their awards by King Carl XVI Gustaf at a gala ceremony at the
Stockholm Concert Hall
The Stockholm Concert Hall ( sv, Stockholms konserthus) is the main hall for orchestral music in Stockholm, Sweden.
With a design by Ivar Tengbom chosen in competition, inaugurated in 1926, the Hall is home to the Royal Stockholm Philharmoni ...
on 31 August. The Royal Swedish Academy of Music said about Abreu:
The Polar Music Prize 2009 is awarded the Venezuelan conductor, composer and economist José Antonio Abreu. Driven by a vision that the world of classical music can help improve the lives of Venezuela’s children, he created the music network El Sistema, which has given hundreds of thousands the tools to leave poverty. José Antonio Abreu’s successful creation has promoted traditional values, like respect, fellowship and humanity. His achievement shows us what is possible when music is made the common ground and thereby part of people’s everyday lives. Simultaneously, a new hope for the future has been given children and parents, as well as politicians. The vision of José Antonio Abreu serves as a model to us all.
In 2010, Abreu was awarded the
Erasmus Prize
The Erasmus Prize is an annual prize awarded by the board of the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation to individuals or institutions that have made exceptional contributions to culture, society, or social science in Europe and the rest of the world. I ...
.
In 2012, Abreu was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Institute of Education, University of London in recognition of his services to music education and social change.
On September 22, 2014, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
awarded Abreu the Notre Dame Prize for Distinguished Public Service in Latin America.
In 2012, Abreu was awarded an Honorary Degree from
Carleton University
Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning Wo ...
for his “outstanding contribution to the advancement of underprivileged youth through music and education”. The Simón Bolívar String Quartet performed in honour of Dr. Abreu, joined by the OrKidstra Quintet of
Ottawa's own El Sistema program.
References
External links
* Biography o
Right Livelihood Award
''Interview with José Antonio Abreu''
*
*
TED Talks: Jose Abreu on kids transformed by musicat
TED
TED may refer to:
Economics and finance
* TED spread between U.S. Treasuries and Eurodollar
Education
* ''Türk Eğitim Derneği'', the Turkish Education Association
** TED Ankara College Foundation Schools, Turkey
** Transvaal Education Depa ...
in 2009
Kajimoto Concert Management (supporting El Sistema's activities in Japan)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abreu, Jose Antonio
1939 births
2018 deaths
Venezuelan classical musicians
Members of the Venezuelan Chamber of Deputies
Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun
People from Valera
Venezuelan conductors (music)
Male conductors (music)
Honorary Members of the Royal Philharmonic Society
Simón Bolívar University (Venezuela) faculty
Government ministers of Venezuela
Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Andrés Bello Catholic University alumni
University of Michigan alumni
Venezuelan Roman Catholics
Glenn Gould Prize winners