Venezuela has inaugurated the José Antonio Abreu University of Music in Caracas, launching with more than 520 students and 18 centers nationwide. teleSUR English reported the information, noting that the institution offers undergraduate degrees in music performance, composition and lutherie, elevating existing technical training to the bachelor’s level.
Acting president Delcy Rodríguez formally opened the university Tuesday at the former Simón Bolívar Conservatory of Music in the El Paraíso parish. The institution is named after José Antonio Abreu, founder of Venezuela’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs, known as El Sistema.
The university employs 77 specialized teachers across 55 teaching spaces, including 33 classrooms and 22 acoustically treated rooms for individual and group instruction. Facilities include three concert and recording halls, a library, a music archive and the headquarters of the Center for Research and Documentation of El Sistema. Rony Morales serves as rector.
Rodríguez highlighted that El Sistema serves more than 1.3 million children across Venezuela. She linked arts education to youth participation and social coexistence, expressing hope for greater social harmony. A second edition of Vive El Sistema Fest is scheduled for October, with events in public spaces through Christmas.
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