CARACAS, Venezuela — The frail elderly man and his curly-haired protégé made their way through a narrow aisle between two lines of a singing choir. The older man brushed a cheek, clasped a hand, nodded his head with a broad smile. People came up as he progressed, asking for pictures and touching his arm. Cheers arose.
El Sistema, Venezuela’s national music program aimed at young people, put on a major show of orchestra playing and singing for the visiting Los Angeles Philharmonic, its staff and patrons, who are in town for a Mahler symphonic cycle. But the attention of the enthusiastic crowd of young performers, parents and others around the Teresa Carreño Theater was focused on José Antonio Abreu and Gustavo Dudamel.
Mr. Abreu, El Sistema’s stooped but mentally vigorous patriarch, and Mr. Dudamel, the program’s most famous product and the Philharmonic’s music director, were mobbed. When Mr. Dudamel went to greet some young musicians in the cello section, they burst into exciting bobbing. “Gustavo!” people shouted from balconies.
El Sistema’s White Hand Choir, a group of children and young adults with special needs, including deafness, developmental disabilities, Down syndrome, blindness and autism also performed. Half of the choir wore white gloves and, instead of singing, gestured in time to the music, looking like a flock of white doves suddenly disturbed or launched into coordinated flight. Read more…