The Harvard School of Public Health and the Quincy Jones Foundation will present this year’s Q prize to the leaders of El Sistema Dr. José Antonio Abreu and maestro Gustavo Dudamel.

The Q Prize is a prestigious international award that recognizes and promotes extraordinary leadership and advocacy on behalf of children, and "El Sistema has demonstrated the incredible power of music as a public health intervention that fosters healthy child development," said Barry R. Bloom, dean of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Quincy Jones commented, "I am honored to join with Harvard in presenting this year's Q Prize to Maestro Dudamel and his mentor Dr. Abreu for their dedicated work on behalf of the children of Venezuela through El Sistema.  Throughout my life I have been able to witness firsthand the power of music to bring forth change in the lives of those less fortunate, and the work of El Sistema is a glowing example of the magnitude of that power around the world.  I eagerly anticipate furthering the message of music as a tool for bringing young people together in a common cause for mankind when we convene the National Music Summit next year in New York. Music is the only thing that engages the left and right brain simultaneously - it's soul and science."

Quincy Jones and the Harvard school of public health have developed Project Q with the aim of improving the health and well-being of children worldwide. The project is an initiative of the school’s Center for Health Communication, directed by Jay winsten. The Center’s mission is to mobilize the immense power of mass communication to promote public health.

The ceremony will take place at One Time Warner Center, at 7:30 P.M, in New York City.  Dr. José Antonio Abreu and maestro Dudamel will accept the Q prize and discuss plans to bring the program to the United States.

The November 13 gala is underwritten by Audemars Piguet and the Q Prize is supported by a gift from Time Warner, and by individual donations.