Welcome to EL SISTEMA-NEW YORK CITY (ES-NYC). We are a group of inspired individuals––all volunteers––dedicated to bringing the SPIRIT of José Antonio Abreu’s music education system to New York City…and beyond.
The SPIRIT of ALL-INCLUSIVENESS extending to ALL ARTS, not just music.
Marni Nixon spurred the creation of El Sistema-New York City (ESNYC) on June 18th 2007 after the screening of “Tocar y Luchar” in the boardroom of the Metropolitan Opera Guild.
Marni stood up and said:
“That is so inspiring and moving, ‘What do we do next?!’”
And ESNYC was born.
Due to the tremendous interest around the country and the world,
ESNYC has extended its resources and info-sharing to places like:
Birmingham, Alabama
Hampton Roads, Virginia
Las Vegas, Nevada
Allentown-Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Flagstaff, Arizona
Denver, Colorado
Charlottesville, Virginia
Louisville, Kentucky
Madison, Wisconsin
Honolulu, Hawaii
Vienna, Austria
Merimbula, Australia
Bangkok, Thailand via Cambridge, England
Toronto, Canada
Brussels, Belgium
Hong Kong, China
Bologna, Italy
Tokyo, Japan
We also have established idea-and-knowledge sharing with Sistema Scotland board member Peter Stevenson.
Jose 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.
We embrace Maestro Jose 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 Jose Bergher.
For the full text–English and Spanish–of Maestro Abreu's acceptance speech, please CLICK HERE.]
Lou Bruno jump-started this project during an hour long
discussion at Columbus Circle in the Summer of 2006.
If you’d like to help and/or join our group inspired and moved by Tocar y Luchar–the documentary film about EL SISTEMA –please let us know.
Jose Bergher: source of most of the info and material including the DVDs which
he brought on 22 January 2007.
Larry Rawdon : Larry helped with the first private screening of Tocar y Luchar on January 29th 2007; more importantly, he got Barbara Murray, Director of Music of the NYC Department of Education to attend.
Larry attended the November 7th 2007 symposium on EL SISTEMA organized and sponsored by the New England Conservatory of Music.
Olivia Koppell : Olivia got Chancellor Klein to watch a 23 minute DVD about “El Sistema;” as a result, a meeting with top music and arts administrators at the Department of Education, including Barbara Murray, took place on 12 October 2007. Olivia, through her brother NYC Councilmember Oliver Koppell, made possible a screening for some members of the NY City Council on April 24th 2008. As a result, the NY City Council will issue a Proclamation honoring Maestro José Antonio Abreu..
Jacqui Danilow : Jacqui got Carnegie Hall to open 2 rehearsals of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra to NYC public school children. She also made possible a bass master class by Edicson Ruiz–youngest ever member of the Berlin Philharmonic–on 14 November 2007 at the Manhattan School of Music. Among the attendees were John Beal, Lew Paer, Orin O’Brien, Tim Cobb, Gregg August, and a dozen and a half or so bass students.
So far our group also includes: Marni Nixon, Nina Stern, Gayle Dixon, Akua Dixon, Marshall Coid, Nardo Poy, Marcus Rojas, Teresa Cheung, Dean Crandall, Dr. Lisa Delorenzo, Chet Schmitt, Roberta Cooper, Alondra De la Parra, Sharon Moe, Jim Biddlecomeˆ, Joe Sherman, P. George Mathew, MaryAnn & Craig Mumm, Gregg August, Enrique Marquez, Mark Patterson, Steven Richman, Peter Weitzner, Frederico Gouveia, Jourdan Astier, Professor Elise S. Sobol, Samuel Marchan and Reinaldo Moya [the last 2 are graduates of "El Sistema."]
We’d like to thank others who have helped, encouraged, and supported our efforts:
–Joseph Bongiorno ( String Faculty: NYU Double Bass)
–Oliver Koppell (NYC Councilmember)
–Jay Blumenthal (VP Local 802)
–Professor Alison Deane (CCNY)
–Nestor Lopez (VP ExplorArt)
–Laura Day (Metropolitan Opera Guild)
–David LaMarche (American Ballet Theater)
–Charlotte Mayerson (Riverside Park Concerts)
–Louise Koby for DVD transport
–Eliot Van Buskirk (Wired magazine)
–Mark Churchill (Dean, Prep Division, New England Conservatory of Music)
–Alondra De la Parra (Music Director, Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas)
–N. Charles Thomas (Arts Development Supervisor Chicago Public Schools)
–Steven Richman (Conductor and Music Director, Harmonie Ensemble/NY)
Also, thanks to Warren Laffredo,Sander Strenger, Laura Flax, Matthias Lehner, and Charity MacDonald for help with dissemination.
–Jourdan Astier for invaluable video help, support, and initiative!
–Justin Faye for helping get the Jourdan contribution going!
