Season 2025 - 2026

From Caracas to Wembley and all the way to the FIFA World Cup final, the 2025-2026 season carried us to some of the most prestigious stages in the world. In the year El Sistema celebrated 50 years of history, eight of our musicians share the experiences that defined a period of momentous challenges, encounters, and achievements for our orchestra.

The 2025-2026 season holds a special place in our history. Throughout these months, we carried the music of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela to stages that have borne witness to some of the greatest chapters in international music. London, the Southbank Centre, Wembley Stadium, and ultimately, the first FIFA World Cup final to feature a halftime show formed part of a journey that allowed us to showcase, once again, the artistic magnitude achieved by our orchestra.

All this came to pass, furthermore, within a year of profound resonance:

El Sistema celebrated five decades of a history built on education, discipline, collective endeavor, and the transformation of thousands of young Venezuelans through the power of music.

Carlos Vegas, concertmaster

For Carlos Vegas, concertmaster of our orchestra, the London tour stood out as one of the season’s grandest moments—not merely due to the sheer magnitude of the stages, but because of the profound response the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela received.

“The performance at the Southbank Centre was met with an extraordinary reception. The hall was packed, and the audience’s ovation was so prolonged that we returned to the stage to perform two additional pieces that were not originally part of the program.”

The experience extended to Wembley Stadium, where the orchestra performed before a massive audience. For Vegas, standing on a stage of that magnitude represents the continuation of a path we have built over the years—one that allows us to embrace new challenges from a foundation of artistic excellence. The season once again demonstrated our ensemble’s ability to rise to every occasion and to perform with the same unwavering poise in Caracas, London, or any of the world’s great international venues.

“That means El Sistema has no borders, no limits; it is something eternal.”

His phrase for the season: transformation.

Humberto Jiménez, violinist and assistant concertmaster — The Marriage of Figaro

During The Marriage of Figaro, Humberto faced a challenge that was not found solely within the musical score. The arrangement of the musicians on stage caused them to lose some of the acoustic cues that typically serve as their reference points during a performance. “The sound deceived us completely, and we could not rely on what we were hearing,” recalls Humberto Jiménez.

The solution was to trust one another—relying on breathing, shared glances, and even the movements of the wind players to sustain the narrative of the performance.

As assistant concertmaster, he also bore the responsibility of adapting to a different cast for every performance. “Each singer brought their own personal imprint,” he explains. The result was an experience that ultimately transcended the music, fostering a profound connection between the members of the orchestra and the vocalists.

His phrase for that experience: blind trust.

Acuarius Zambrano, principal percussionist

The concert for maracas by Matías Azpurúa was an especially meaningful experience for Acuarius Zambrano. The piece allowed for a grand showcase of the percussion section while simultaneously sparking a reunion with a longtime colleague.

Azpurúa, composer of the piece and himself a former member of the percussion section, shared memories with Zambrano from various stages of their training and the history they have built together within the orchestra. “We started remembering so much about the orchestra, about the Atayala Ensemble.” The rehearsals ultimately turned into “a total reconnection of the section with the maestro and with ourselves as an ensemble.” Added to that experience was the pride of being part of the world premiere of a work that, for Zambrano, possesses everything needed to continue gracing international stages.

His phrase for the season: challenge. “They never cease to stand before us.”

Rosa Avariano, French horn player — Variaciones Concertantes by Alberto Ginastera

Rosa Avariano's challenge during Alberto Ginastera’s Variaciones Concertantes was as much mental as it was musical: finding calm. Her solo, part of the French horn’s "pastoral variation," arrives immediately after a violin movement charged with tension and demands the exact opposite: breadth, warmth, and stillness. “The hard part is truly reaching a state of calm in that moment,” she explains.

To achieve it, she envisioned an open, green space beneath a blue sky with a gentle breeze. She also drew confidence from the collective energy of the orchestra—that shared force supporting her when the time comes to step into the solo. Beyond this particular piece, being a part of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra remains a dream come true for her. “The orchestra is my life, from the inside out.”

Her phrase for that experience: peace.

Víctor Caldera, principal trumpet — Wagner’s Parsifal, Ríos Reyna Hall, Teresa Carreño Theater

For Víctor Caldera, returning to the Ríos Reyna Hall meant coming full circle. It was there that he first saw the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra perform in 1996, back when he was just a child in the National Children's Symphony Orchestra. Returning years later as principal trumpet represented that "link from child to adult," one in which "that seed of childhood remains—seeing music not so much technically, but from a place of pure enjoyment."

The challenge came with Parsifal, Richard Wagner's final opera, which opens with a trumpet solo Caldera knew primarily through recordings. However, one of the moments he remembers most vividly occurred during the performance itself. As he played the solo, his orchestra colleagues showed their appreciation through silent applause—tapping their feet so as not to be noticed by the audience.

“We are a team; no one functions alone here. In the end, we are brothers and sisters—we're a family.”

His phrase for that experience: joy.

Juan Diego Reyes, flutist — Concert with maestro Guy Braunstein, Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration

Juan Diego Reyes grew up watching videos of Guy Braunstein during his tenure as concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic. Years later, sharing the stage with him represented the opportunity to meet a musician whose career he had followed since he was very young.

The experience was marked by an artistic exchange and a shared vision of excellence. Braunstein conducted a program that included Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration, one of Reyes's favorite works, while also serving as an arranger for part of the repertoire. Among the ideas guiding the process was a motto that is also central to our own understanding of music: “strive for excellence.”

His phrase for that experience: fascinating.

Jorge Moreno, principal bass.

For Jorge Moreno, one of the most significant moments of the season had a name: Gonzalo Hidalgo, his long-time companion, leading the orchestra as conductor. “We have shared incredible moments, we have grown up together, and now seeing him as a conductor is a source of great pride,” he says. That opportunity to build a career alongside the very people he grew up with turns every concert into an experience that transcends the musical profession itself.

Then there is the audience. For Moreno, one of the greatest satisfactions of making music is performing for a full house with people who want to listen, enjoy, and let themselves be carried away by what the Bolívar has to offer. That connection is an essential part of our relationship with those who join us concert after concert. “Making music with my family, with the orchestra, is something I will take with me from this season.”

What endures after a year like this is the passion to keep going: to play, to offer our art to the audience, and to continue making music together.

His phrase for the season: highly enriching and challenging.

Emilio Donaire, violinist — FIFA World Cup Halftime Show alongside Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic

For Emilio Donaire, violinist and soccer fan, participating in the historic FIFA World Cup final halftime show carried a meaning that went far beyond the event's artistic dimension. Sharing the stage with the New York Philharmonic alongside artists like Coldplay, Shakira, Justin Bieber, and BTS before millions of viewers meant, above all, representing Venezuela.

The excitement came with a responsibility: to carry the country's name and bring joy to Venezuelans through music. The experience also forged closer bonds with the musicians of the New York Philharmonic, sharing rehearsals, dinners, and stories throughout the preparation for the performance.

Yet, one of the most meaningful moments took place far from the stadium. Upon returning to his hometown, San Juan de los Morros, total strangers approached him to express their gratitude for representing Venezuela.

“The greatest satisfaction for a musician is the applause, but in this case, it was the people’s warmth—seeing them happy and grateful.”

His phrase for the season: “Dreaming is free.”

A season that leads us forward

The 2025–2026 season leaves us with unforgettable moments: the response from the audience in London, the Wembley experience, artistic encounters, premieres, major concerts in Venezuela, and our participation in the historic FIFA World Cup final halftime show.

Each of these achievements is part of a journey we have built over decades. A journey rooted in Venezuela, in our Núcleos, in our teachers, in our musicians, and in every child and young person who finds in music an opportunity to grow and transform their life.

We celebrate 50 years of El Sistema. Five decades of a story that continues to expand within and beyond our borders, finding one of its core artistic expressions in the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. The season comes to an end, but the journey continues. The stages change, the challenges multiply, and new generations keep arriving to take them on.

From Caracas to the world's greatest international stages, we keep making music, we keep growing, and we keep carrying the name of Venezuela to new heights. Because, as Carlos Vegas reminds us, "El Sistema has no borders".