EL SISTEMA World Orchestra and Choir

El Sistema unites efforts with different allies to develop within the second edition of its World Congress, the next launching of the musical groups that will unite in the same harmony countries of the five continents, starting from one of the most philanthropicwishes of our director-founder, Maestro José Antonio Abreu: "It is my most passionate dream, that El Sistema interconnects countries around the world and thus constitutes El Sistema Mundial (The World El sistema)… the most glorious emblem of the culture of peace.

This first initiative, together with the programs inspired by the social-educational- artistic model of El Sistema, which has its antecedents in the Iberoamerican, Latin American, Americas and Andean Countries orchestras, is the formation of the World Orchestra and Choir El Sistema (OCMES), which will pay tribute to Maestro Abreu, in commemoration of the fifth year of his physical departure, to promote and direct his vision of The World El Sistema Orchestras and Choirs as a significant expression of musical art, fostering the search for equality, resilience and the culture of peace as universal values.

The first meeting will be held in the city of Caracas, in order to carry out a series of activities to promote and develop musical, educational and personal growth among the participants, with a view to achieving an impact on the various communities of the partner nations, leading to a deeper understanding of the importance of awareness of the arts for the development of human beings and society.

The academic and musical activities of the OCMES will cover two weeks, in which experiences will be carried out in different fields of culture around music, with an exchange of local and international artists and educators, in order to foster between nations, ties of friendship and promote art, social progress, artistic excellence and human rights, in reciprocity and connection with local and foreign culture.

Likewise, the program of the visit includes the organization of workshops by instrument ranks, sectionals by instrument families and a rehearsal plan to concludewith two concerts, to be held on Saturday, September 23 and Sunday, September 24, 2023, at the Simón Bolívar Hall of the National Center of Social Action for Music, headquarters of El Sistema, at 6:00 p.m.

The OCMES will be a multicultural orchestra of international standing, composed of musicians between the ages of 16 and 30, in harmonious alliance as an emblem of union, fraternity, solidarity and conciliation. A symbol to express the shared commitment between countries for cooperation, education and the arts, and to reaffirm the importance of these components in a peaceful, prosperous and meaningfully integrated society. As a musical exchange, the members of these ensembles will perform an orchestral program that will include Danzón No. 8 by Arturo Márquez, I and IV movements of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Overture Candide by Leonard Bernstein, Alma Llanera, lyrics by Rafael Bolívar Coronado and music by Pedro Elías Gutiérrez, Trirsch Trasch, Triqui Traqui by Paul Desenne, Guillermo Tell by Gioachino Rossini and Romeo and Juliet by Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky.

The choral repertoire will be divided into works by composers from four continents: America, Europe, Asia and Africa, among which we can mention: Estrela ;Lua Nova by Heitor Villa-Lobos, A la nanita by Manuel Oltra, Wa Habibi by Gerald Wirth and Bose Aba by Victor Johnson.

This concert will become a cultural landmark, through which a valuable interaction will be left with local and foreign audiences that will foster interest in culture in all its facets, which is in line with some Sustainable Development Goals such as quality education, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, industry-innovation and infrastructure, reduction of inequalities, peace-justice and strong institutions, and partnerships to achieve the goals.