Sistema Europe is delighted to announce the appointment of three new members to its Board: Ron Davis Álvarez, María Guerrero Sanz and Nikoletta Polydorou.
Each of them brings exceptional experience and commitment to our Association and Network, bringing forward the legacy of El Sistema and its mission to promote social inclusion, education, and cultural connection through collective music-making. Their diverse perspectives and leadership will further strengthen Sistema Europe’s vision of a continent united by music, creativity, and community.
We warmly welcome our new Board Members and are pleased to share their own words of inspiration and vision for the road ahead!
Ron Davis Álvarez is a Venezuelan conductor and music educator. He has led masterclasses and lectures around the world, training teachers and developing orchestral programs for children and youth. He is the founder and artistic director of Dream Orchestra, a music learning community based in Gothenburg, Sweden.
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It is an honor to join the Board of Sistema Europe, alongside leaders from across the continent who share the vision of transforming lives through music. Being formed within El Sistema shaped my path and my understanding of education, art, and service. I carry that legacy forward with gratitude, bringing the philosophy of El Sistema access, excellence, and community to every space where music opens opportunities and builds hope. I know there is still much to learn, and I look forward to supporting the network particularly in the areas of didactic and pedagogy, where dialogue and shared experience can strengthen us all. I bring with me a voice full of energy and conviction, and I am happy to put it in service of this network. Thank you so much!
María Guerrero Sanz works at the intersection of culture and social impact. In 2013, she founded the Acción por la Música Foundation in Spain, she is currently the President of the organization, which works with children and young people to promote a more just and equitable society.
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I feel a great responsibility in joining this board and supporting the organizations, communities, and individuals that are part of the Sistema Europe network, so that they may transform their lives and surroundings through the beauty and deep bond that music brings. The legacy of Maestro Abreu beats within us and inspires us to be a symbol of a culture of peace. The world today needs us to recognize our essential connectedness with “the other.” Sistema Europe is a demonstration that, no matter where we come from, together we are capable of building something more beautiful than the sum of its parts: a more just and equitable world for everyone.
Nikoletta Polydorou is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Sistema Cyprus, a social-music programme that provides free orchestral music education to children and young people, including migrants and refugees. She holds a PhD in Education and defines herself as an “Artivist,” bridging culture, education, and social change.
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I’m happy and dedicated to being on Board. I believe deeply in the power of what we do in our programmes. And I believe even more in the power of us coming together. Every time we travel across Europe, there’s a home waiting for us, and that’s something truly special. I hope to contribute to strengthening these bonds, expanding opportunities, and shaping the future of music and social action across Europe.
Isn’t it beautiful to have a place you can call home in so many countries?