| José Antonio Abreu |
|
| Born |
May 7 1939 (1939--) (age 68)
Valera, Venezuela |
José Antonio Abreu (born in Valera, (Trujillo
State), Venezuela, May 7, 1939) is a Venezuelan economist.
He began to study music with Doralisa Jiménez de Medina in Barquisimeto,
(Lara State). Later, he attended the Caracas Musical Declamation Academy (today
"José Ángel Lamas") in 1957, where he studied
piano with Moisés Moleiro, organ and harpsichord with Evencio Castellanos, and composition with
Vicente Emilio Sojo.
Abreu obtained a Ph.D. in petroleum economics at the Universidad Católica
Andrés Bello in 1961. He also studied at the University of Michigan. He has served as a delegate to the Venezuelan Congress. Abreu has also
been a professor of the economy and law faculties of the Universidad Andrés Bello and the Universidad Simón Bolívar.
In 1967, he received the Symphonic Music National Prize. He was the founder and firector of the
"National Network of Youth and Children Orchestras of Venezuela", starting in 1975. He received the
National Music Prize for this work in 1979. He became the Minister of Culture in 1983. His network, consisting of 102 youth and 55 children orchestras numbering approximately 100,000 youngsters,
was named Social Action for Music, under the supervision of the Venezuelan Ministry of Family,
Health and Sports. Now named Fundacion del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de
Venezuela, or more colloquially El Sistema, its goal is to use music for the protection of childhood through training,
rehabilitation and prevention of criminal behaviour.[1]
[2]
Abreu has participated in exchange and co-operation programmes with Spain, Latin American
countries and the United States. His orchestras have received UNESCO's International Prize of Music (1993-1995). He
was appointed as Special Ambassador for the development of a Global Network of Youth and Children orchestras and choirs in
1995, also as special representative for the development of network of orchestras within the
framework of UNESCO's "World Movement of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs". This project was created in the context of an
inter-disciplinary project "Towards a Culture of Peace". He co-ordinates the programme through the UNESCO office in
Caracas.
Abreu was honoured with a Right Livelihood Award in 2001.
In September 2007, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced on television a new
government program, Misión Música, designed to provide tuition and music instruments to Venezuelan children, with Abreu
present on the TV program.[3]
References
External links
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