THEME MUSIC - Adolphus Hailstork - Sonata da Chiesa

 

Elliott Forrest: Live from Carnegie Hall in New York City, I'm Elliott Forrest, and tonight we'll bring you a concert featuring the famed National Children's Symphony of Venezuela, led by the incomparable Gustavo Dudamel. This is the second of seven nights of live broadcasts from the Isaac Stern Auditorium, and we're here for Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week. A festival bringing together some of the finest youth orchestras from around the world. Joining me tonight, my dear friend and colleague, Paul Cavalconte. Hey, Paul.

Paul Cavalconte: Hey, Elliott. We are so excited to be broadcasting orchestras from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, and they will join with some of today's most distinguished conductors and soloists.

And taking center stage tonight is the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela, an ensemble composed of young musicians between the ages of 10 and 17. Those musicians are all part of a program called El Sistema that has been integral to Venezuelan cultural life for almost 50 years. Founded in 1975 by Jose Antonio Abreu, El Sistema provides free, intensive music education throughout Venezuela.

Elliott Forrest: And when we say intensive, we do mean intensive. Students participate in musical instruction from four to six hours a day, six days a week. During those hours, students are largely focused on orchestral repertoire, where young musicians are learning, but they're also mentoring other young participants.

Paul Cavalconte: And our conductor tonight is the unforgettable Gustavo Dudamel, who will take the reins of the New York Philharmonic in 2026, and he will find himself on that podium, due in part to his participation in the El Sistema program. When we spoke to him earlier this week, he told us how El Sistema is shaping young lives through music.

Gustavo Dudamel: El Sistema is about teamwork. And that is why I see music education in terms of an orchestra, of a choir, as the best way to really understand empathy, connection, creating harmony, beauty for others, transforming the life of others, first transforming your life together with a group of people.

Paul Cavalconte: Tonight's conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, speaking about the Venezuelan music education program known as El Sistema.

Dudamel played violin in that program as a child, but at just the age of 12, he got his first chance conducting a rehearsal. And it went so well that five months later, he was given the position of Assistant Conductor, and by the time he was 15, Dudamel was conducting the flagship youth orchestra in Venezuela.

Elliott Forrest: And it's probably worthy to point out just how rare that is for someone to become a truly skilled conductor at such a young age. You look at many of the world's top conductors and they don't find their way in front of an ensemble quite that early on in their careers, but that's truly the power of a comprehensive music education program.

And it's something that Gustavo Dudamel remains committed to to this day.

Gustavo Dudamel: We did a concert in Los Angeles a few days ago and I, I told them, look, I feel that I'm sitting there because I was there. I was in a children's orchestra 30 years ago playing my violin, dreaming not to succeed as an individual. My dream was to succeed as a member of a team. You know, you get to conduct. The best orchestras in the world, that for me, that is a privilege, I feel really honored to have created all of these wonderful relations with great orchestras. But you know, I think the main reason for me being a musician is to work with young people. And this is something that I learned in El Sistema.

Elliott Forrest: Conductor Gustavo Dudamel speaking there.

Tonight we have, well, at least four pieces on the program. We entered the building today with knowing what we thought the repertoire was, but it's kind of different. It's a very dynamic night tonight, which makes it very exciting here at Carnegie Hall. After intermission, we're going to hear Dmitri Shostakovich's weighty Symphony No. 5, but in the first half of the program we have a set of dances, a tone poem depicting a midday scene, but we're gonna begin with John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

Paul Cavalconte: And Adams wrote it after he took a ride in a friend's new Ferrari in an experience that Adams called absolutely terrifying. Now you can imagine that experience of being a passenger in a car that's going way too fast for the skill of the driver. That's sort of gripping your seat for dear life. You really do hear that sense of frenzy throughout the piece.

Elliott Forrest: Yeah, certainly can, Paul. There's a driving woodblock pulse that begins the piece and remains constant throughout. The whole piece is like that, just relentless. So much so that John Adams went so far as to even call it almost sadistic. And in the score he even marks several of the orchestral parts delirando or delirious.

Paul Cavalconte: And the first half of the program has got a lot of variety. When we spoke to tonight's conductor he told us it was like a voyage through America.

Gustavo Dudamel: I think the first part is a journey of American music. Starting, of course, with our dear John Adams. And we are playing an amazing piece, Short Ride in a Fast Machine, which is, I think is a symbol of the modern American music. Then we travel to Antonio Esteves, Venezuelan composer. I think Esteves, like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, created this kind of idea of the lands and bringing these feelings, because in this music you can smell, you can feel, you can touch. We play Mediodía en el llano, which is a very quiet piece. We end the first part with La Estancia. Suite the suite of the ballet is a selection of four dances, which is also a symbol of Latin American music, of American music.

Paul Cavalconte: Elliott Forrest is busy.

Elliott Forrest: Okay, I'm a little delayed in getting back on the air because I'm getting a selfie with Gustavo Dudamel here backstage. I'd love to be able to sort of capture the energy where we are. We're not only inches away from conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who's about to go on stage, but a set of young people, very young people, who are going to be a part of this thing tonight. Paul, when you said it was 10 to 17, I want the audience to really think about that.

Paul Cavalconte: Yeah.

Elliott Forrest: When they're listening to this tonight. And I think they're going to hear world class performances, and you're going to go, there's 10 year olds out there.

Paul Cavalconte: Right. Think of yourself, you know, doing swimming lessons, or ballet, or something that was difficult to master at that age, and then imagine that the venue is the absolute pinnacle of the Orchestra Hall experience, and here you are, practice, practice, practice, you got to Carnegie, but the loveliest thing about this moment is the kids are squeezing next to Dudamel, taking selfies with him, laughing, smiling, there is a very festive high school musical feel to this night at Carnegie Hall.

Elliott Forrest: And you know, and not only that, there's young people we're going to hear speak in just a little bit, and I had to recall the first time I hosted on stage, you and I are backstage right now. But the very first time I walked from where we are right now onto the stage, I remember somebody telling me, you know, you're going to have to breathe. And I shared that with these young people only moments ago, because they, I said, how do you feel? And they said, very nervous. This is Valeria, Valeria and Moises.

Moises Primera: Okay. Okay. Good evening, everyone.

Valeria Figuera: My name is Valchi and I'm part of the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. And I play the flute.

Moises Primera: My name is Moises and I also play the flute.

Valery Perez: And my name is Valery and I'm part of the first violin section of this incredible orchestra.

Moises Primera: So, we are performers of the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. We are the representation,

We are the representation of more than one million kids who are part of El Sistema in Venezuela.

Valery Perez: We are so happy and excited to be here tonight with the other incredible orchestras of this great festival that is the World Orchestra Week. So we have to,

NYO Orchestra, please stand up.

Now, NYO2, please stand up.

We have here too, the Afghan Youth Orchestra.

Valeria Figuera: We also are accompanied by the Beijing Youth Orchestra.

And, and for last, the Africa United Youth Orchestra.

In unison: Thanks for coming!

Valeria Figuera: And I, I hope you, I hope you enjoy the concert, and as we say in Venezuela, en El Sistema

In unison: Tocar, Cantar y Luchar!

Paul Cavalconte: Wonderful. A once in a lifetime moment that they will remember for all their lives. Valeria Perez, violinist, Valeria Figuera, flute player, Moises Primera, flute player. And we're waiting for Gustavo Dudamel to step on stage now to conduct the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela performing John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine, live on WQXR.

Elliott Forrest: The Concertmaster is coming out for the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela.

Now Paul, you know, it really does feel, and maybe it's not a coincidence, that it's Olympic week this week. Because there's the same kind of feeling here, because these orchestra members, as you just heard, are from all over the country. The festival continues tomorrow night, Saturday, with the Africa United Youth Orchestra. Sunday is the Beijing Youth Orchestra. Monday, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States with Marin Alsop and Jean-Yves Thibaudet, the pianist. Tuesday, August 6, the European Youth Orchestra. And on Wednesday, it all wraps up on the 7th of August with the Afghan Youth Orchestra.

Paul Cavalconte: All right, that tuning has begun, and we are just seconds away from our conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, stepping on stage to conduct the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. And the first work, once again, will be John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine.

Elliott Forrest: John Adams, the American composer. Many orchestras have played this piece for quite a while. This American composer comes from a musical family, attended Harvard, he's been part of the Minimalist movement. He actually held the Composer's Chair here at Carnegie Hall for a long time and as we talked about, this Short Ride in a Fast Machine is just that. It was based on a ride that John Adams took in a car and uh, went. He just wanted to capture how it feels to be in a Ferrari.

Paul Cavalconte: I think that the young folks, even though they don't have their driver's licenses just yet. are keyed into what that sensation could be like, but this is a whole different kind of ride. It really is thrilling to know that they are having their first experience with something that has thrilled both audiences and performers for time immemorial here at the legendary Carnegie Hall.

Elliott Forrest: After this first piece, we'll hear music by Antonio Estevez, then the music of Alberto Ginastera. We'll hear a number of dances. Then there's going to be an intermission, and then we'll wrap up with Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.

Gustavo Dudamel entering the stage here at Carnegie Hall.

He's shaking the hands of the concertmaster. The audience is loving. Him and with this orchestra as we hear the music of John Adams live on WQXR.

MUSIC - JOHN ADAMS Short Ride in a Fast Machine

Elliott Forrest: A short ride indeed, Short Ride in a Fast Machine by composer John Adams. Performing are the young musicians of the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, live from Carnegie Hall here in New York City on WQXR. Paul, as I was saying earlier, ten year olds. Some of these are ten year olds. I just want to point that out.

Paul Cavalconte: Their hearing isn't shot like ours. Boy, that must have been loud out there. What a fantastic opening. Gustavo Dudamel is absolutely beaming as he has just stepped off stage at this moment and we're preparing to kind of change the pace a little bit after that dynamic opening.

The next piece offers a very different mood. Next on the program it's going to be Mediodía en el Llano or Noon on the Prairie by the Venezuelan composer Antonio Estevez. This piece was written very early on in his career. In fact, he was still studying at the Caracas Conservatory and this before he travels to the U. S. and studies with the likes of Leonard Bernstein. He spends the majority of his life in Venezuela developing a musical style. It's very nationalistic.

Elliott Forrest: This is called Noon on the Prairie, live from Carnegie Hall.

MUSIC - ESTÉVEZ Mediodía en el llano

Paul Cavalconte: Mediodía en el Llano, a tone poem by the Venezuelan composer Antonio Estevez. Gustavo Dudamel conducting the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela on WQXR, live from Carnegie Hall.

Elliott Forrest: It's called Noon on the Prairie, a very nationalistic sort of note that it hits, depicting the grasslands of the west of Venezuela.

It was originally supposed to be part of a larger suite that depicted the dawn, noon, and sunset, but only the middle movement survived. Paul, was very atmospheric, a Debussy like piece. It also had a lot of very exposed parts. You know, that solo violin and the horn that we just heard. Which you know, has got to be technically challenging.

Again, this is a children's orchestra, the musicians you're hearing between 10 and 17, and they did just such a beautiful job.

Paul Cavalconte: Yeah. Easy to play loud, hard to play softly and with delicacy and restraint. And they really mastered that technique. It's so remarkable how they fall into it so naturally, all of these pieces.

Here's Gustavo Dudamel.

Gustavo Dudamel: Today, our dear musician is introduced, but one thing that we have something out of the program that we would love to share with you. This orchestra is also a beautiful choir. So, in honor of our maestro, José Antonio Abreu, the creator of El Sistema, we want to sing a madrigal that he composed when he was young.

It's called Sol que das vida a los trigos.

MUSIC

JOSE ANTONIO ABREU Sol que das vida a los trigos
JOSE ANTONIO ABREU Gloria

 

Elliott Forrest: Okay, it's not enough that they play really well, these children from Venezuela. They also sing beautifully. A madrigal by Jose Antonio Breu, who was the founder of the El Sistema program that all these children come from, as well as the conductor tonight that's featured in these performances with the Children's Symphony of Venezuela, Gustavo Dudamel.

Live from Carnegie Hall, here on WQXR, the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela, singing. I dare the New York Philharmonic, all of them, to put their instruments down and sing like we just heard. Gustavo Dudamel conducting a beautiful Gloria. A little bit of an unexpected added addition to the program tonight that was going to be completely symphonic, and yet all these children from Venezuela just stood up, conducted by Dudamel to sing.

Paul Cavalconte: Just the loveliest kind of, you know, tipping the hat to Mr. Chips.

Elliott Forrest: Coming up next, we will hear the music of Alberto Ginastera, four dances from Estancia.

MUSIC - GINASTERA: Four Dances from Estancia

Elliott Forrest: Live from Carnegie Hall in New York City on WQXR, an absolutely electric performance by the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. A set of four dances by Alberto Ginastera from Estancia. I'm Elliott Forrest with Paul Cavalconte, and for the radio audience, because you're really good at this, Paul, Tell the audience what we just saw.

They heard it, but tell them what we saw.

Paul Cavalconte: We saw dances, we saw literally the entire young orchestra swaying back and forth. Gustavo Dudamel has just come off stage, and he just went, whoo! And he goes, it was a physical workout as well as an amazing musical performance. Not a beat missed, not a note clammed. These kids kept in step, and also added a physicality to what we just saw. That was absolutely thrilling.

Elliott Forrest: This ensemble, this Children's Symphony from Venezuela is very familiar with this work because they performed it during a concert in 2013 at the illustrious Salzburg Festival. Really propelled them to the international stage, especially sharing music from South America by Alberto Ginastera.

Paul Cavalconte: Ginastera, I guess you could say one of the giants in classical music in South America, blending European art music with folklore touches from his native country. The movements that we heard depicted a kind of a, a scene titled accordingly, The Field Hands, The Wheat Dance, The Cattlemen, And the final dance, and all of these contrasting sections at times sounded very much like a film score, and these young people certainly brought it to vibrant visual life as they acted out the music, swaying back and forth, holding onto their instruments for dear life, and watching every move of Maestro Dudamel's baton.

Elliott Forrest: As is the tradition, Gustavo Dudamel is leaving the stage and he lets the audience and the, really enjoy the orchestra. They take a different bow. He's come, come on and off two or three times now and he's now walking through the orchestra kind of pointing to different soloists and really sharing the stage again with these children. They range in age in the symphony orchestra from Venezuela between 10 and 17.

Paul Cavalconte: It's amazing to think that, you know, for many, this might be their first trip to New York. What a frame of reference. There's nowhere to go but, I don't want to say down, but they are absolutely having a peak experience at this wonderful Carnegie Hall concert tonight happening on Classical New York, WQXR, 105. 9 FM and HD Newark, 90. 3 FM, WQXW Ossining and WNYC FM HD2 New York.

Now it's intermission here at Carnegie Hall and it is a special place. It's got some amazing stories and if you've ever wondered about the more than 100 years of history that's taken place at Carnegie Hall, you're in luck. There's a podcast for that. It's called If This Hall Could Talk. And it's made in collaboration with WQXR.

Elliott Forrest: It's great. Each episode takes a close look at an object from the collections of Carnegie Hall's Rose Archives. From a ticket stub to Carnegie Hall's opening night in 1891 at the height of the Gilded Age here in New York, to a flyer for a tribute concert for Martin Luther King Jr. in 1961, just as he was gaining national fame.

It's hosted by Broadway star Jessica Vosk. She does a great job. And the podcast features the voices of historical experts, leading performers, and Carnegie Hall's in-house archivists, who take you on a tour through significant moments in our cultural history. Do check it out. If This Hall Could Talk, as they say, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Paul Cavalconte: We're going to meet some of our young soloists in just a moment. I want to mention that tonight you're hearing the second of seven nights of concerts from World Orchestra Week Festival here at Carnegie. Over the course of this week, 700 plus young musicians are expected to perform with seven of the leading youth orchestras from around the world, and they're going to be joined, as they are tonight, by some of the foremost figures in classical music today.

Elliott Forrest: I did want to point out again, tomorrow night, the World Orchestra Week continues with the Africa United Youth Orchestra. Then on Sunday, I'll be back, you'll be back as well, right Paul? Let's team up on it. We'll be watching the Beijing Youth Orchestra concert live from Carnegie Hall. On Monday, the National Youth Orchestra of the United States. What a program! Marin Alsop, Jean Yves Thibaudet and the music of Gershwin. Tuesday, the 6th, the European Union Youth Orchestra. And it all wraps up on Wednesday, the 7th, with the Afghan Youth Orchestra. What a celebration of youth orchestras!

Paul Cavalconte: Alright, time to meet some of these wonderful musicians. And we've literally just grabbed a couple of folks from the orchestra, so you guys are going to have to introduce yourselves.

But, let's start with you, sir.

Moises Primera: Okay so, hi, my name is Moises I'm from Sula State, Venezuela, and I play the flute.

Paul Cavalconte: Alright, and we're going to meet?

Valeria Figuera: I'm Valchi Figuera, and I'm part of the flute section, too.

Elliott Forrest: Great, well it's so great to meet both of you, and Moises, I know that you got to speak in front of all these people at Carnegie Hall, let's just start by the beginning of the concert.

How was that for you?

Moises Primera: Cool. Ah. I'm really, really nervous in this moment, really.

Elliott Forrest: It's so amazing.

Can I ask how old you are?

Moises Primera: I'm 16.

Elliott Forrest: You're 16, and you?

Valeria Figuera: I'm turning 16.

Speaker: You're turning 16. Is this your first time here in New York?

In unison: Yeah.

Elliott Forrest: Yeah, and what an exciting time, right? Yeah, really. To come right to Carnegie Hall.

Moises Primera: Super, super excited.

Elliott Forrest: Tell us, each of you, how long have you been performing with this orchestra?

Moises Primera: Two years, right?

Valeria Figuera: Yeah. around the auditions started around three or two years ago and that's when the orchestra started.

Elliott Forrest: I see, and what's this tour like been this summer? Tell us what your summer's been like.

Valeria Figuera: Well this summer was, has been incredible I think. I never thought that I will be here in New York performing at the Carnegie Hall with all my friends and this moment is completely amazing for me.

Moises Primera: Yeah. So, this journey and summer, it's so incredible because this journey started in Colombia in Bogota, and then we played in Los Angeles in the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

So, yeah. We're here right now, and the next days we're going to the Ravinia Festival in Boston, yeah?

Elliott Forrest: Chicago.

Moises Primera: Tanglewood Festival in Boston. Boston, yeah. Right, right.

Elliott Forrest: Fantastic. In Boston, Massachusetts.

Paul Cavalconte: Moises, was there any way to describe how this space hit you when you saw it for the first time? I mean, maybe you thought about it on the plane, and then you saw it for real, and just describe to us what it was like to actually take in the scope of Carnegie Hall, the first moment you stepped on the stage.

Moises Primera: So I can say only this, unbelievable, incredible.

Elliott Forrest: You look overwhelmed.

Valeria Figuera: Yeah.

Elliott Forrest: And you?

Valeria Figuera: Well, for me, being here in the Carnegie Hall is amazing. I never thought that I would be here. This is a complete dream come true for me.

Paul Cavalconte: Well, it's a dream come true for us to be able to bring this to a radio audience of people who have children just like you and are so inspired by hearing your talent and your enthusiasm for visiting our city, this historic place and playing the music as expertly as you did. One very quick last question about all of those fancy moves at the end of the last piece. Did you have to practice swaying back and forth and coordinating your movements a lot or did it just come naturally?

Valeria Figuera: Well, that's a funny question because we We did some times at SA for that, but never went well. That was a complete disaster, always we were Yeah, yeah. But I think it was good. I think it was naturally for us, because we were enjoying the music.

Elliott Forrest: Let me ask you too, because the level of playing, I think all over the world as we hear this entire week, these are all kids, these are all young people, and the level is really high. I mean, I can only assume the El Sistema program and the programs that you have been have really insisted and kept you at a really high level of playing, right?

Moises Primera: Yeah, so one thing I'm gonna say. For me, it's really, really exciting to be here in the Carnegie Hall because I remember that we are the representation of one more than one million kids

Valeria Figuera: In Venezuela.

Moises Primera: In Venezuela. Right. That's so incredible.

Paul Cavalconte: Great.

So wonderful, and so great to have you as our guests this evening during intermission, as we all catch our breath after hearing that absolutely thrilling performance. Thank you guys once again for stopping by.

Elliott Forrest: Thank you so much for stopping by. Yeah, great.

These performers have traveled from around the world to take to the stage at Carnegie Hall for World Orchestra Week.

But the experience is so much more than just performing in these concerts. Many of the young musicians involved in this festival are looking forward to one of the big events. It's called a Play-In event with all 700 plus participants conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Just imagine that wall of sound. And we asked Clive Gillinson, head of Carnegie Hall, to tell us a little bit about the motivation behind bringing together all these musicians in one place.

Clive Gillinson: It's a little bit of celebration, but it's also, needless to say, a bit of Carnegie Hall insanity. I mean, you never try and just take one or two steps at a time. It's a little bit like people used to talk of Leonard Bernstein. Stephen Sondheim said of Lennie that Lennie loves risk. And Bernstein, you know, he will never fall off the bottom rung of a ladder. If he's going to fall off a ladder, he'll fall off the top. And I feel in a way that's the spirit. in which we like to approach things. If you're going to do something, do it flat out. Do it in the best way you conceivably can. And the whole point of this, amongst all the other objectives, is to bring together all these brilliant young musicians from all around the world. So what better than actually having them all come together and play together as well, communicating as individuals and connecting through chamber music and other things. So that is what this is. It's absolutely a celebration of the most brilliant young musicians from all around the world.

Paul Cavalconte: Well, this festival really is quite special for us. You can really feel the energy of all these musicians from all over the world. No, but there's a jaded factor of zero tonight. Every one of these faces, these young faces, is beaming. They are hugging each other at intermission time and smiling and looking at us, talking about them and going, oh, who are these people?

But it's a lovely esprit de corps that is giving this Carnegie night a very rich and special feel. And it's the first iteration of World Orchestra Week. Gustavo Duhamel told us how extraordinary this event and these ensembles really are.

Gustavo Dudamel: This is a unique moment to have all of these diverse cultures united by music, in this case, being shown in the most important stage in the world, you know, which have the best artists, the top orchestras, opening the space for the youth in these times where we need to find spaces of encounter to really create connections and to see realities and to really look and to understand how to work, how to make the world better with what we do. That in this case is music. And I think every initiative, all the youth orchestras that are participating, they are all symbols of music education as an important tool of social transformation through music.

Paul Cavalconte: Gustavo Dudamel speaking there.

It's intermission at Carnegie Hall. The last piece on the program tonight will be the hefty Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich. It was written at a politically fraught time for the composer who was trying to protect himself from dictator Joseph Stalin's deadly purges during the 1930s, and at the premiere of Lady Macbeth, the Soviet newspaper Pravda condemned the new opera as, quote, muddle instead of music. And while a bad review might just seem like an annoyance, nowadays, under Stalin's rules, such a judgment could be deadly.

Elliott Forrest: Yeah, not a good thing with Stalin. Eager to avoid such peril, Shostakovich followed up his Lady Macbeth with his fifth symphony that we're going to hear tonight. He set aside all programmatic elements and wrote a very formalistic, straightforward symphony to circumvent all of that lovely commentary from the critics and Stalin.

When it premiered Shostakovich described his symphony as a Soviet artists' reply to just criticism.

Paul Cavalconte: And, you know, poor Shostakovich had to fight for his right to party all through his career, so misunderstood, and always pushing against the current. And despite all of these negatives, it actually turned out to be one of his most popular pieces.

It explains why it's still programmed so very often to this day, and why it's a beloved piece in the standard orchestra repertoire. But It's actually quite a bear to play, very difficult. So how have these young musicians done as they try to tackle this piece? Well, Gustavo Dudamel told us about it.

Gustavo Dudamel: One of the most symbolic symphonies in the repertoire is the Shostakovich Fifth Symphony, which is a challenge, but they are playing amazing, they are, it's incredible.

The deepness of the meaning of that music is something that these young people have digested and understood. And this is the journey that we have with maybe some surprises.

Elliott Forrest: Tonight's conductor Gustavo Dudamel telling us about tackling Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5.

Elliott Forrest with Paul Cavalconte. We're backstage here on stage right at Carnegie Hall witnessing all the comings and goings of how it goes to put on a concert like this. You know, what is it, over a hundred kids passing by here? As well as Gustavo Dudamel in and around all these pieces. Such an exciting opening to the concert, the first half of this music of the American, John Adams, and then music of fellow countrymen from South America. You know Paul, I was telling you earlier, I'm on the board of the New York Youth Symphony. They're not performing in this festival, but I have to say, the first time I went and I went, well, what's this gonna be like with 10, 11, 12, 13 year olds playing symphony orchestras' hardest pieces, whether it's tonight like Shostakovich or Mahler, and I was incredibly impressed immediately by the New York Youth Symphony as I am last night and tonight and the entire rest of the week. I think this really says a lot about music education today and that when there's all these cutbacks in the public school, music finds a way.

Paul Cavalconte: Absolutely.

Elliott Forrest: Students find a way.

Paul Cavalconte: And, and, you know, it's just living proof that these difficult works, these challenging works for adults to listen to, let alone perform, are not above the pay grade of these brilliant young minds that are so fresh and malleable and can take to it in an instant, and it's just one of the miracles of the way the gift of music can touch young people. Consider the fact that Maestro Dudamel was named music director of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra at 16. He was appointed Music Director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela at the age of 18. And paying back to the community, and we saw the simpatico he has with this young group of musicians this evening. He launched the Dudamel Foundation in 2012, which he co chairs with his wife the actress and director Maria Valverde, with the goal of expanding access to music and the arts for young people, providing tools and opportunities to shape their creative futures.

Elliott Forrest: You know, I don't know the exact story, but if I understand it right, there was just somebody who wasn't conducting that day, and Dudamel was like 13, and they said, you know, who can help on this? And we said earlier that hardly ever happens, but I recently heard the exact same story with MTT, with Michael Tilson Thomas. As a kid, there was a class, and the teacher and the conductor didn't show up, and whoever was there said, Well, I guess we won't do music today, unless someone else can come up and stand and conduct and that was the beginning of Michael Tilson Thomas's conducting career.

So the real lesson is raise your hand, jump in, even if you don't know what the heck you're doing.

Paul Cavalconte: That stand-in conductor motif, my goodness, it makes Old man Lenny Bernstein at all of 24 seem like the the granddaddy of the last-minute stand-ins. And that was something that happened on this Carnegie Hall stage.

Elliott Forrest: Right here, and of course we should mention that Gustavo Dudamel has had a lot of light shown on him. He's been conducting in L. A. for a long period of time, but we are lucky. He is coming to New York. He will be taking over the New York Philharmonic in 2026.

Paul Cavalconte: Yeah, he's stepping away from some amazing credits, leading the Simon Bolivar Symphony of Venezuela, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Paris Opera.

And this tonight was just a little preamble, almost a kind of a tease. We are so geared up for a long relationship with him and many more great concerts and broadcasts to come and shows that we'll all get to enjoy and revel with with the New York Philharmonic and Dudamel at the helm.

Elliott Forrest: We are intermission time here at Carnegie Hall, and we are going to hear music of Shostakovich coming up after the break.

Paul Cavalconte: All right, and it is a beautiful if somewhat thick summer night in New York. The oppressive humidity is not working its way through the venerable plaster walls of Carnegie Hall. It's feeling nice and relaxed and cool in here and the young people are taking their time and taking five or ten or fifteen before coming back for a very challenging second half of this program wrestling the Shostakovich beast down.

Elliott Forrest: You can tell Gustavo Dudamel loves working with these young people. We have to say when we spoke to him earlier, it was clear just how he felt about the young musicians he's working with.

Gustavo Dudamel: I think all of us are proud of our young people. They are the ones that are building the future. And I think the young people understand it deeply, you know, how to build a better world.

Paul Cavalconte: The work that we're going to hear by Dmitri Shostakovich is one of the benchmarks in an amazing career, which for him also began at a very tender age. He entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory at only age 13 studying piano and composition, and he participated in the Chopin International Competition for Pianists in Warsaw at the age of 21, and received an honorable mention before he would emerge as a prominent composer during the 1920s. Under that new economic policy led by Lenin and at a time when avant garde trends were starting to infuse the new music coming out of that part of the world.

Elliott Forrest: Coming up, music of Shostakovich live from Carnegie Hall here in New York City, but first, let's hear a little music from the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America recorded live right here at Carnegie Hall.

Here's the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 22. This was performed by the 2016 class of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States with soloist Emanuel Ax, led by conductor Christoph Eschenbach.

MUSIC – MOZART: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 22 EXCERPT

Paul Cavalconte: Music recorded just a few years ago here at Carnegie Hall, but now we are back live on Classical New York, WQXR. Paul Cavalconte along with Elliott Forrest backstage at Carnegie Hall for an amazing evening of music and the power of youth.

Elliott Forrest: That's right, this is the second night of WOW, World Orchestra Week, here at Carnegie Hall with an entire list of incredible youth orchestras from around the world tonight. This orchestra, this children's symphony from Venezuela doing an amazing job. Conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. During the intermission Maestro Dudamel got an award by the Glenn Gould Foundation and the Government of Canada, and he dedicated it to the children of Venezuela.

Paul Cavalconte: Maestro Dudamel has now entered the stage once again and is stepping up to the podium to bring us into the second half of our program and the challenge and the thrill of a great symphony by Dmitri Shostakovich.

MUSIC - SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

Elliott Forrest: Live from Carnegie Hall, this is World Orchestra Week. You just heard Gustavo Dudamel leading the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. And a performance of Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony number five, live here on WQXR.

I'm Elliottt Forrest with Paul Cavalconte. Paul, what an amazing performance. What an amazing night.

Paul Cavalconte: You know, in 1937 when the work was premiered it, it was created to commemorate the 1917 revolution, 20 years earlier. So 20 years is a generation, right? But in '37 they said that some folks wept openly. Others left in silence having witnessed what they just did, but the feeling here tonight is just hearts gladdened and swelling with pride for the ability of these young people to perform as they did, and the face of Gustavo Dudamel conducting them, the degree of focus and also the way he really is in step with these young people, having himself been the beneficiary of an education at an early age and engagement in music in this meaningful way. He's really deeply bonded to these young musicians.

Elliott Forrest: Gustavo Dudamel back on stage with these children, this children's symphony from Venezuela. It looked, he's now shaking hands with the young concertmaster, the first chair violinist. And the fellow musicians are all applauding him.

This is the second of seven nights as we celebrate youth orchestras from around the world.

Dudamel pointing out a number of different soloists, including, looks like the French horn player now.

It's an amazing night. Again, these are students, these are young people from Venezuela between the ages of 10 and 17.

Paul Cavalconte: It's hard to close your eyes and imagine that it's not a bullfighting ring or a football match going on in there, but the roaring and the cheering, the waves of appreciation and applause as the individual members and orchestra sections have their moment to take their bow. Just a joyous feeling in Carnegie Hall tonight, and music that always inspires and challenges at the same time. Imagine that these young people created the sound that we just heard live in New York tonight.

Elliott Forrest: And imagine Gustavo Dudamel's feeling here. He's from Venezuela, he grew up as a child in this same El Sistema program, and here he is coming back, giving back and working with children from his home country. This has got to be emotional for him.

Paul Cavalconte: Oh my gosh, the whole feeling tonight has been paying it forward, encouraging the possibilities in youth, and looking ahead optimistically to a bright future. You know, these young people have been projecting some messages that were shown almost like as little holograms around the hall tonight. All messages of peace and love and wishes for a world of unity. And the music has spoken volumes, but the messages have not been lost on us either.

Elliott Forrest: Tonight, Gustavo Dudamel, the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. We started off with American music. John Adams Short Ride in a Fast Machine. But quickly went into music from South America, Antonio Estevez's music, then Alberto Ginastera. And in between there, much to our surprise, this entire symphony orchestra stood up and started singing as a choir. They sang madrigals from their home country and sang as beautifully as they played.

And as you just heard, we just completed this concert with the Fifth Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich.

Paul Cavalconte: Dancing in place as well as singing. A full commitment to this music tonight, a total immersion experience.

Elliott Forrest: Gustavo Dudamel still among these very young musicians on stage live at Carnegie Hall pointing out a number of different soloists and sections and in turn the fellow musicians and fellow countrymen applauding their friends. But also know that these orchestras from around the world are also in the audience tonight. They didn't go anywhere. Tomorrow night the Africa Youth Orchestra, later on orchestras from Beijing, from the United States, from the European Union, and Afghan Afghanistan are all here in the audience tonight. Almost a sense of the Olympics and these countries coming together celebrating music and love.

Paul Cavalconte: This is Classical New York, WQXR 105. 9 FM and HD Newark, WQXW 90. 3 FM Ossining, and WNYC FM HD 2 New York.

Paul Cavalconte here with Elliott Forrest.

Well they're basking in the waves of love and the sheets of sound that reverberate through Carnegie Hall as applause and cheers and we know that they're coming back for at least one, maybe even two, so we're expecting our first encore, which will happen momentarily, to be a Venezuelan dance, a fuga, and Gustavo Dudamel has just come off the stage and is greeting the musicians who are taking their places to present the encore, which we understand will be Fuga con Pajarillo from Aldelmaro Romero's Suite Para Cuerdas, performed by the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. And again, led by the conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

Elliott Forrest: We have a very unique perch here, Paul and I do. We are directly off stage right. We're not sequestered in some booth somewhere. There's a lot of activity here. Gustavo Dudamel coming off stage right. There are some other musicians that weren't in the Shostakovich here with us, including a guitar player, a stand up bass player, and some other instruments that are off stage right with us that are getting ready to go back on stage for at least one encore as the audience continues to applaud this orchestra from Venezuela as we really begin. This is only night two of the World Orchestra World Festival of Youth Orchestras.

Gustavo Dudamel back on stage choreographing this encore in a way, bringing on first the harp, and he's quieting the orchestra for an encore.

MUSIC - ROMERO: Fuga con Pajarillo

Speaker: Coming to you live from Carnegie Hall, Gustavo Dudamel, the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela. And a full concert night as part of World Orchestra Week, celebrating youth orchestras. A Venezuelan dance by Aldemaro Romero. Just incredible. This is an encore for tonight. It started off with Gustavo Dudamel and the orchestra and then quickly segued into a quartet of an improvisation in the center for a choro, bass, maracas, and harp.

I'm Elliott Forrest with Paul Cavalconte. I'm a bit speechless right now.

Paul Cavalconte: We heard so many different kinds of of music melding together. The traditional, the classical, but that Venezuelan dance was especially joyous because it gave everyone a chance to kinda blow off some steam after. the power of the Shostakovich, the Venezuelan dance Fuga con Parajillo from Aldemaro Romero's Suite, Para Cuerdas, the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela.

Gustavo Dudamel off stage now. And it seems like there's a huddle, and maybe, maybe there might be a second encore, but the crowd is cheering boisterously for these amazing young musicians who are basking in this remarkable moment at Carnegie Hall.

Elliott Forrest: The National Children's Symphony of Venezuela on their feet now soaking in the applause, and Gustavo Dudamel going back on stage right now and welcoming this applause, the entire audience here at Carnegie Hall, on their feet as well. Gustavo Dudamel greeting the quartet of improvised players that came in.

The choro, a kind of guitar, which you heard, which was fantastic. And the stand-up bass and the maracas. Who plays the maracas like that? That was incredible.

Paul Cavalconte: We are in for something very special and it's gonna be the second time that this music has been heard so far in these nights of the World Orchestra Week Festival at Carnegie Hall.

They're preparing for a spirited second encore.

MUSIC - BERNSTEIN: "Mambo" from West Side Story

Elliott Forrest: Gustavo Dudamel, the National Children's Symphony of Venezuela, and Leonard Bernstein's Mambo from West Side Story. Now, we're going to try to describe what just happened. Not only did they play this piece live here from Carnegie Hall, but there was some dancing and some choreography, and the trumpet players were spinning their trumpets. And I'm Elliott Forrest with Paul Cavalconte.

Describe what Dudamel did.

Paul Cavalconte: Just such a marvelous way to end. He traded places with his concert master, grabbed the violin, and the young man stood and grabbed Dudamel's baton and conducted the very last strains of Mambo from West Side Story as the members of the orchestra were somehow managing to play their instruments and engage with each other physically in the steps of a mambo dance,

Elliott Forrest: They were all dancing a little bit here, and this has been an incredible night.What a way to celebrate youth orchestras and music education around the world.

Paul Cavalconte: Gustavo Dudamel is just stepped off stage and we're all applauding him as he swallows down about half a bottle of water and is calling out to various folks backstage and signaling people on stage. Don't know if anything more is going to happen here, but the spirit is very high and festive.

Oh, I see some young people are gathering in place and they're coming out, I guess, to take a bow.

Elliott Forrest: Some of the soloists that we heard tonight that were not part of the regular orchestra, especially these young people who sang at one point and the ones who played the maracas were brought out to enjoy this applause coming from this boisterous audience not only filled with regular concert goers here at Carnegie Hall, but a number of the youth orchestras, the seven youth orchestras from around the world are all represented in the hall tonight.

Paul Cavalconte: This evening, I think, and there is a full-on standing ovation. Everyone in Carnegie Hall is on their feet and cheering. This one will always be remembered as a very, very special night. There is such a beautiful spirit in the room this evening and everyone feels for these young people who are getting to have this once in a lifetime, but maybe not last in a lifetime moment as musicians setting sail on a rich life of performing before audiences around the world.

Elliott Forrest: Speaking of around the world, Paul, we know that people listen to these concerts from around the globe through our app and WQXR. org. We're already getting texts and notices from family members, particularly in Venezuela, who are listening to this concert live. So if you're in Venezuela and you're listening to your fellow countrymen play tonight live here from Carnegie Hall, our heart is with you. And I know you must be proud because we certainly are as well.

Paul Cavalconte: I love the global shout outs that WQXR. org affords us. And we couldn't do it without you. We're so grateful for all the WQXR members who make our non-commercial radio station possible and to have a footprint across the globe. It means so much on a night like tonight.

And as these young people come off the stage and it's kind of like, almost like being in a locker room except instead of being covered with mud, they're carrying their instruments and they look remarkably well composed considering the evening of music that they've brought to us.

The mood swing from Shostakovich's dramatic Fifth Symphony to the celebratory Fuga and Mambo that we heard, amazing how they were able to pull it all off.

Elliott Forrest: Tonight is part of World Orchestra Week. It's a festival here live from Carnegie Hall. This is the, just the second night of seven live broadcasts, each highlighting a staggeringly talented group of youth orchestras. And these orchestras really are from all over the world. Tomorrow night's concert features the Africa United Orchestra, led by conductor William Eddins. A great program you won't want to miss, including arias from the first Zulu opera, works by South African composers, and ending with the unbelievable beautiful Dvorak's New World Symphony.

Paul Cavalconte: Our thanks to Clive Gillinson and the staff of Carnegie Hall.

WQXR's team includes engineers Ed Haber, George Wellington. Noriko Okabe and Duke Marcos. Our production team, Lauren Purcell-Joiner, Eileen Delahunty, David Norville, Christine Herskovits. I'm Paul Cavalconte, thank you, Elliottt Forrest.

Elliott Forrest: Thank you, Paul.

I am Elliottt Forrest. Carnegie Hall Live is a co-production of Carnegie Hall and WQXR in New York. We'll send it back now to WQXR Studio where the music continues. Good night from Carnegie Hall.

 

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