News
Venezuelan Musical Foundation Wins Spain's Prince of Asturias Arts Award
The Associated Press
May 21, 2008
MADRID, Spain: A foundation that provides music classes for impoverished children in Venezuela won a prestigious arts award Wednesday.
The jury of Spain's Prince of Asturias Prizes gave the honor to the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, which was founded in 1975 by Venezuelan composer, economist and politician Jose Antonio Abreu.
The network offers music classes and workshops to young people, targeting the underprivileged in particular. It now boasts 150 youth orchestras and another 70 for children.
The jury said the network "has become an exceptional social and educational movement for the diffusion of art."
More than 15,000 music teachers take part in the program, and since its founding it has provided classes to more than 600,000 youths and children in Venezuela, the Spanish jury said.
The orchestras have performed for the United Nations and the late Pope John Paul II, and with guest stars such as Placido Domingo, the jury said.
For his efforts, Abreu was named a UNESCO goodwill ambassador in 1998.
Abreu's project melds "maximum artistic quality and a profound ethical conviction applied to improving social reality," the Spanish jury said.
Abreu, speaking in Caracas, said the award would move the foundation to keep working for the cause of bringing together children and music.
He called the prize "an acknowledgment of the effort of our dedicated teachers." Through the system of orchestras, he said, "art becomes a powerful tool for social development."
He said the program's star talent, young conductor Gustavo Dudamel, is the "incarnation of this young generation" that will drive the program on by inspiring younger musicians.
The art award is one of eight that the Prince of Asturias Foundation gives out yearly. Other categories include scientific research, sports, letters and humanities. Each carries a €50,000 (US$78,000) cash stipend and a sculpture by Joan Miro.
The prizes are named after Spain's Crown Prince Felipe, whose formal title is Prince of Asturias, a region of northern Spain.
Last year's arts award went to Bob Dylan.
Back>>>
NOTE: The Venezuela Information Office is dedicated to informing the American
public about contemporary Venezuela, and receives its funding from the
government of Venezuela. More information is available from the FARA office
of the Department of Justice in Washington DC.
Venezuela Information Office
2000 P Street NW, Suite 240
Washington, DC 20036
tel: (202) 347-8081
fax: (202) 223-8029
|
