Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela – Concert

Under the heading "Party in the Felsenreitschule," the Munich daily Münchner Merkur boldly proclaimed: "Venezuela's Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra guests at the Salzburg Festival - and delivers the biggest audience hit of the summer." Two days after the concert reviewed by the Merkur, the ensemble united its massive forces once again for a spectacular concert in the Grosses Festspielhaus - another unqualified success! Rarely has an orchestra reached out and grabbed its audience in such a visceral manner; and even more rarely has such a feat been accomplished by an orchestra of youngsters between the ages of 12 and 26! The Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, the Salzburg Festival's resident orchestra of 2008, is a product of the "Sistema de Orquestas" set up to allow children of all social levels to learn a musical instrument and play in an ensemble.