Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela

The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (SBSOV), founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, has continuously aimed to create new opportunities for musical excellence in Venezuela for the past 40 years. Its 180 members – named UNESCO Artists for Peace – have been trained under the El Sistema’s Orchestral Academic Programme. They have also taken master classes with internationally renowned professors and performed under famous maestros such as Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Baremboim, Kristof Penderecki, Esa-Pekka Salonen and Lorin Maazel, amongst others.

Led by their Music Director Gustavo Dudamel, the SBSOV have toured extensively with Askonas Holt, appearing in major orchestral venues such as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, London’s Royal Festival Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York. Furthermore, the orchestra tours regularly around Europe and the Americas, and has also toured to Asia and the Middle East.