Gustavo Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra played in Zurich for the first time in a concert at the recognized Opernhaus, one the most important venues of Switzerland. This concert marked the beginning of the SBSOV’s tour around Switzerland and Italy.

The orchestra performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major, op. 55, also known as “Eroica”, Ravel’s Daphne et Chloé, and Firebird, suite No. 2 by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky, to raucous applause by the enthralled Swiss audience. As encore, they played Leonard Berstein’s Mambo.

During this short stint in Switzerland, Hilti, a renowned international company reaffirmed their support to the System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela. Michael Hilti, president of the company, confirmed that they will continue to provide instruments for the SBSOV and this collaboration will also extend to other youth orchestras in Venezuela, as well as the renowned Manos Blancas Choir. In order to celebrate the reaffirmation of this important allegiance, Angélica Olivo, the concertino of the Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela, was presented with a violin by Hilti.

After their debut in Zurich, the Bolivars will kick off their Italian tour. They will play at the La Scala Theatre in Milan on November 21st, led by maestros Gustavo Dudamel and Diego Matheuz to then offer concerts in Rome, Torino, Naples, Palermo, Genoa, and Reggio Emilia.

While the SBSOV played for the first time in Zurich, Diego Matheuz was making a debut of his own, as he performed at one of the most important venues around the world, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, conducting the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. Upon concluding this engagement, Matheuz will join the Bolivars in Italy and lead them for the remaining five concerts of their Italian tour. Under his baton, the orchestra will play Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2, Santa Cruz de Pacairigua, composed by maestro Evencio Castellanos, Symphonie Fantastique, op. 14 by French composer Hector Berlioz, and Firebird by Igor Stravinsky.