El Sistema Returns to the United Nations to Pay Tribute to Maestro Abreu

The National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela returned to Geneva this past April for a special performance at United Nations Headquarters, marking almost a decade since the visit of El Sistema founder Maestro José Antonio Abreu. For the orchestra’s 170 children, this was their first time performing in Geneva, where Maestro Abreu held his last tour. The concerts were part of a series of events paying tribute to Abreu on the fifth anniversary of his death. The UN has played an important role in sustaining both El Sistema’s programs and its pledge to train two million children across Venezuela, in addition to El Sistema–inspired programs that have since sprung up in over 70 countries.