“An orchestra made up entirely of young musicians will take the stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on July 22. The group is called the National Take a Stand Festival Orchestra, composed of musicians aged 12-to-18 from across the country,” reports Paola Mardo at Southern California Public Radio on Friday (7/21). “They’re members of youth orchestras inspired by El Sistema — the Venezuelan arts program that nurtured L.A. Philharmonic music director Gustavo Dudamel. Dudamel will conduct the performance along with Thomas Wilkins, principal conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. The performance culminates the Take a Stand Symposium in Los Angeles … hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association in partnership with the Longy School of Music at Bard College. Students attended classes and workshops taught by L.A. Philharmonic musicians and members of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela…. As an African-American conductor who counts Calvin Simmons and James DePreist as pioneers, Wilkins acknowledges the power of seeing role models who look like you… ‘Even to have both Gustavo and I as the two conductors is ‘a great gift to give to a kid … to say, Yes, this too is possible for you.’ ”
Posted July 24, 2017
