On December 13, 1,200 musicians led by Gustavo Dudamel came together in a concert organized by the Government of the State of Lara and the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela. The concert was held at the Antonio Herrera Gutiérrez Stadium for children in need in Lara.

As part of its national tour, the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, led by Gustavo Dudamel, shared the stage with young musicians from the núcleos of the System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Lara in a unique concert attended by 20,000 people.

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SBYOV’s National Tour. Barquisimeto. Sunday 12-13-09. Photos: Fesnojiv.

The event started with the presentation of the Nutcracker Ballet Suite by the Youth Orchestra of Lara’s ballet company. Then, amid ovations and fireworks, and accompanied by the girl who played the role of Clara, Gustavo Dudamel came on stage to conduct the Youth Orchestra of Lara in the performance of Antonio Carrillo’s Como llora una estrella, and Rafael Miguel López’s San Trifón and Ensoñación. This first part of the concert closed with the performance of Herrero and Armentero’s Venezuela.

The second part of the event opened with Adelis Freitez’s El Cardenalito followed by Tchaikovsky’s Slavonic March, Arturo Marquez’s Danzón Nº 2 and Händel’s Messiah. The youth orchestras of Lara closed the second part of the concert with Trino Carrasco’s Golpe Tocuyano amid the applauses from an enthusiastic audience.

The last part of the concert featured the SBYOV.  Wagner’s Rienzi Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini created an atmosphere of joy and reflection fostered by Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, which was performed by soloist Alisa Weilerstein.