The White Hands Chorus received in Friuli, Italy, the 2010 Nonino Risit d'Aur Award for providing children with special needs with joy and dignity and touching the hearts of those who attend their performances.

The award was established 35 years ago by the Nonino company, a renowned Italian distiller considered as visionary for their ability to recognize those who have made the world a better place. The White Hands Chorus won one of the four prizes established by the distiller after being nominated by maestro Claudio Abbado. The renowned Italian conductor – who won one of the Nonino prizes in 1999 –  talked about his admiration for the Venezuelan chorus.

This year, the jury was presided by Nobel Prize winner and 1993 Nonino Prize winner, V.S. Naipaul.

Naibeth García, conductor of the White Hands Chorus, received The 2010 Nonino Risit d'Aur Award from Giannola Nonino, president of the Nonino company, who announced the creation of a White Hands Chorus in Friuli, Italia, under the guidance of Naibeth García.

The white glove’s miracle arrives in Friuli

The White Hands Chorus is part of El Sistema’s Special Education Program, which was created in 1995 by Professor Jhonny Gómez.

On occasion of the 2010 Nonino awards ceremony, held on January 30, 18 children with special needs shared the stage with the Artemia children’s choir. The audience, visibly touched, enjoyed the performance of a popular choral work from Friuli entitled O ai preât la biele stele.

According to El Sistema, and its founder, maestro José Antonio Abreu, the Special Education Program has been able to develop the artistic skills of children with hearing, vision, cognitive, and motor impairments; Down syndrome; learning disabilities and autism, and has played an important role integrating them into society.