Guest speaker April 23 - Lucas Waldin
Posted by Tim Onciul
on Apr 24, 2013
LUCAS WALDIN is currently Artist-in-Residence and Community Ambassador with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Lucas was named to the newly created position after three seasons as the orchestra’s Resident Conductor. He is conducting the ESO in more than 20 concerts during the 2012/13 season while focusing on establishing strong
ties with the community through inventive outreach initiatives. He came to speak to us about the ESO's new educational project.
ties with the community through inventive outreach initiatives. He came to speak to us about the ESO's new educational project.
ESO's new educational project “El Sistema, a social system that fights poverty through the richness of Music” (founded by Jose Antonio Abreau). This is a 36 year old Venezuelan initiative, which attracted international attention in 2007, when their youth orchestra took Albert Hall in London by storm. It started as an initiative to socialize youth and keep them off the street. It started with 11 students, and now in Venezuela it has 14,000 teachers and 300,000 kids in the program. The ESO is working with the LA Philharmonic and their conductor Gustavo Dudamel (himself a graduate of the program) to start such a program in Edmonton. It is a “network” of orchestras and music organizations, any child can go, is funded through donations, and is customized and adapted to each region and demographic. The children benefit greatly from the social interaction, with the ultimate goal that the kids learn discipline to pursue higher education. The ESO is targeting to start working with an inner city school this fall and looks forward to contributing more to the community.