With artistic, academic and social content, El Sistema's 50th anniversary EXPO invites the public to witness and experience at first hand the hallmarks of a musical organisation that has been living and nourishing the community for five decades.
From 12 to 16 February, a programme of activities will take place at Teatro Teresa Carreño in Caracas, where participants will be able to experience a model replicated in more than 70 countries, which is now part of the very fibre of the Venezuelan people.
The Expo hosts a variety of stands that showcase the history of our beloved Maestro Abreu, the awards he and El Sistema have received over the years. You can visit stands that will present the academic and musical programmes we have.
Maestro Eduardo Méndez - Executive Director of El Sistema
Five days of music, with over 30 groups performing on the three stages set up in the venue. Each group representing different musical genres and charming audiences of all ages. Also attending the EXPO were friends and allies of El Sistema, who contributed to the overwhelming success of this event.
El Sistema EXPO 50 wrapped up on 16 February with a majestic concert by the Multigenerational Orchestra and Choir with over 1200 musicians and on stage with them shone the Manos Blancas Choir, to underline the importance of inclusion as key element of El Sistema's objectives.
We feel deeply proud to accompany El Sistema and I feel that Maestro Abreu will be here forever, because as long as there is a child with an instrument in his hands, he will be there with us.
Gustavo Arreaza - President of Teatro Teresa Carreño
Forums
Two forums - “El poder transformador de la música” and "Foro Internacional de Lutería” - were also held with national and international speakers.
On the first forum, Anis Barat described the experience of El Sistema Greece in the refugee camps during the panel ‘The internationalisation of El Sistema as a transformative process of music education’.
On Friday 14 February, the discussion was devoted to ‘Artistic Excellence as Transversal asset of Music Education’ and Marshall Marcus, President of Sistema Europe, was also part of the speakers group.
For several years we have struggled to understand the nature of El Sistema: just social action or artistic excellence? And this is a big challenge, because access to music and excellence are two sides of the same coin, they are not opposites. The goal is for music to be a vehicle for social action, but artistic excellence is the vehicle.
Marshall Marcus - President of Sistema Europe
CIDES inteviews
Click here and read the full interviews to María Guerrero (Accíon por la Musica Espana), Anis Barat (El Sistema Greece) and Marshall Marcus (Sistema Europe) by CIDES - Centro de Investigatión y Documentacíon.
