Venezuelan Musicians Seek Refuge In Orchestras in Brazil and Abroad

There are few members left from the Orchestra Simón Bolívar, a part of the called El Sistema, a musical education program founded in 1975 by the economist and conductor José Antonio Abreu. The orchestra, part of a social project, served over 350,000 young musicians from Venezuela's poorest regions. Now, with Venezuela's political and social crisis, this initiative is unraveling, and the talented musicians trained there are scattering all over the world. According to seven El Sistema members who talked to Folha, 100 of the 120 names that were part of the orchestra at its peak have already left the country, escaping the harsh conditions that Venezuelans have been facing in the last few years. More…