One of the world’s most famous contemporary classical music personalities, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel will be in the capital city to open the bi-annual Santo Domingo Music Festival with a concert on Thursday, 7 February. He will be conducting the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela at the National Theater’s Carlos Piantini Hall. This student orchestra is more than twice the size of a normal symphonic ensemble.
The 31-year old conductor was recently named 2013 Musician of the Year by the classical music and performing arts industries publication Musical America. The award was made in recognition of his podium charisma and tireless advocacy for music education that have drawn comparisons to Leonard Bernstein. Dudamel is in his fourth season as musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and is in constant demand to guest perform with the most prestigious orchestras around the world. He is a product of the Venezuelan El Sistema, a program launched to boost the efficacy of music education as a vehicle for social change.
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