Simón Bolívar Orchestra and Dudamel celebrate El Sistema

Jorge Glem, Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

By Roy Westbrook, 17 January 2025

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Reviewed at Barbican Hall, London on 16 January 2025

Lorenz, Todo Toreno

Grau, Concerto for Cuatro and Orchestra "Odisea"

Glem, Pajarillo

Tchaikovsky, Symphony no. 4 in F minor, Op.36

Márquez, Danzón no. 9

Bernstein, West Side Story: Mambo

Jorge Glem, Cuatro

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

Gustavo Dudamel, Conductor

Grooving with The Dude: the Bolívars make Bernstein and Falla dance

Mark Pullinger, 28th August

Between gigs at Wembley as Coldplay’s support act, the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra brings its distinctive brand of infectious music-making to the Southbank.

****1

An Edinburgh night to remember as Dudamel returns to the Simón Bolívar

David Smythe, 26th August

The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel and cuatro player Jorge Glem set the Edinburgh International Festival alight with a mix of Venezuelan music and a terrific Mahler 1.

*****

Dudamel conquers Barcelona with Beethoven

Pep Gorgori, 13th March

In Barcelona, Gustavo Dudamel and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela continued their Beethoven cycle with performances of the Fifth and Sixth.

*****

Dudamel and the Bolívars: a “socks-on” kind of ensemble

Jacob Slattery, 7th October

Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and the musicians of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra are undoubtedly the most prominent ambassadors for Venezuelan orchestral music today, and they hit the stage on Friday for their second night at Carnegie Hall’s opening weekend.

***11

Cecilia Bartoli as Maria in Salzburg

Jonathan Sutherland, 13th May

A case of “seeing double” in Salzburg, as Cecilia Bartoli brings West Side Story to her Whitsun Festival.

***11

“Beer and beard”: Barenboim’s ruminative Brahms

Mark Pullinger, 17th January

An ambitious undertaking to perform both Brahms' piano concertos on the same programme, but not one that succeeded in this performance at the Royal Festival Hall.

**111

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Roy Westbrook

Roy Westbrook gained a diploma in music history at London University (Morley College) and was for some years the head of music day schools at Oxford University, where he also led music summer schools. After some years leading the University's business school he has returned to music teaching and writing, and recently took part in the Arts in Residence courses on Bruckner, Mahler and Bach He is co-author (with Terry Barfoot) of a history of opera, and has taught day schools on Sibelius in Oxford and elsewhere.

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and Dudamel celebrate Venezuela's El Sistema