Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra receives its first Grammy nomination

01 Feb 2026, 21:00

by mariana

Under the direction of maestro Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan group is competing in the “Best Orchestral Performance” category with the single Boléro by Maurice Ravel, being the only Latin American orchestra in this category in the history of the awards

Caracas, January 2026 – The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (SSBV) has reached an unprecedented milestone in its history by receiving its first-ever Grammy Award nomination from the Recording Academy of the United States. The nomination, in the prestigious Best Orchestral Performance category, recognizes the orchestra's technical excellence and unique sound in its interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, M.81.

This achievement is noteworthy not only because it marks the first time the SSBV has competed in the Anglo-Saxon awards, but also because it is the only non-American orchestra in its category this year. The Venezuelan ensemble shares the nomination with world-renowned institutions such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, and the National Philharmonic, and it is also the first time in Grammy history that a Latin American orchestra has been nominated.

A sound with its own identity

The piece was recorded on January 14, 2025, in London, during a successful European tour, under the Platoon record label. This production marks the first time the SSBV has recorded Ravel's iconic Boléro, achieving a performance that blends the maturity of its 106 musicians with the freshness of a new generation.

Eduardo Méndez, executive director of El Sistema, emphasized that this recognition is the result of a profound artistic evolution: “The sound of the SSBV has evolved. There is a significant generational mix; it is a young orchestra that has undergone multiple training processes. That characteristic sound has not remained static; the perfect synergy between Gustavo Dudamel and the orchestra generates that unique sound that represents Venezuela.”

Artistic excellence and social inclusion

For El Sistema, this nomination transcends music. It is a testament to the educational model founded by Maestro José Antonio Abreu, who envisioned the international success of its members from the very beginning.

“Seeing these young musicians from the orchestra, who are now top-level teachers, is an inspiration to all the children and young people in the centers throughout the country. This nomination gives them hope that they too can achieve these goals through study and the methodology of El Sistema,” Méndez noted, adding that, if Maestro Abreu were present, he would see this achievement as “the beginning of a series of future successes for El Sistema as a whole.”

This nomination reaffirms Venezuela's position in the elite of global academic music and consolidates the legacy of a project that uses music as a tool for social transformation and artistic excellence.

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