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We are
a group of inspired individuals––all volunteers––dedicated
to bringing José
Antonio Abreu’s music education system to New York City.
And, due
to the tremendous interest around the country and the world,
ES-NYC has extended its resources and info-sharing to places
like:
- Hampton
Roads, Virginia
- Birmingham,
Alabama
- Charlottesville,
Virginia
- Louisville,
Kentucky
- Madison,
Wisconsin
- Honolulu,
Hawaii
- Bangkok,
Thailand via Cambridge, England
- Manila,
Philippines.
We also
have established idea-and-knowledge sharing with Sistema Scotland
through Peter Stevenson, partner to Project Director Nicola
Killean.
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José
Antonio Abreu
started EL
SISTEMA in Venezuela in 1975 with “11
musicians and 25 music stands. ” It has grown into
a global phenomenon increasingly recognized as one of
the most successful and innovative music education programs
ever created. The core idea consists of the formation
of community-based youth orchestras by providing free
instruments and tuition to underprivileged children living
in poverty-stricken areas including children with disabilities.
We are seeking to replicate El Sistema in New York City
with the vision of free music education for any and all
children. |
Venezuelan
musician, educator, economist and former Minister of Culture
José
Antonio Abreu is the 2008 winner of the Glenn Gould Prize.
(Courtesy of the Glenn Gould Foundation) |
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We embrace
Maestro José
Antonio Abreu's ideals so powerfully expressed in the final
words of his speech before the Venezuelan B'nai B'rith when
he accepted the Human Rights Award on 26 February 2008:
En
el combate por los Derechos Humanos, incorporemos con vigor
el sublime derecho de los niños a la música, en cuyo seno
fulge el Ser en su esplendor y en su inefable misterio.
Revelemos
a nuestros niños la belleza de la música y la música revelará
a nuestros niños la belleza de la vida.
"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."
[Translation
by ES-NYC founding member José Bergher. For the full text–English and Spanish–of
Maestro Abreu's acceptance speech, please CLICK
HERE.]
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