Blockbuster musical event of the year to honour Glenn Gould Prize Laureate,
Dr. Jose Antonio Abreu

    
              Celebration Of Music Week to feature Super Stars:
              -------------------------------------------------

              City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize winner,
            Gustavo Dudamel "hottest new conductor on the planet"
    and the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela - rated one of the top
                         five orchestras in the world
    

TORONTO , Sept. 15 /CNW/ - The Glenn Gould Prize Celebration of Music Week will kick off with a gala concert on Monday, October 26 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto featuring the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela in their Canadian debut, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel in his first-ever Toronto appearance. That same evening, José Antonio Abreu will receive The Glenn Gould Prize at this historic concert.

The eighth Laureate of The Glenn Gould Prize, Dr. Abreu is a musician, economist, educator, statesman, social reformer and founder of the Foundation for the National Network of Youth and Child Orchestras of Venezuela ("El Sistema"). Over the last 35 years, this remarkable music education program has reached into Latin America's most dangerous and violent barrios to bring the transformative power of music and learning to over a million children. Dr. Abreu 's innovative program has produced some of the world's most exciting artists and ensembles, most notably the 250 young musicians of the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela (SBYOV) -- rated by the London Times Online as one of the top five orchestras in the world. Under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel, the superstar conductor who has been described as the "hottest new conductor on the planet," the SBYOV delivers dynamic, high-octane performances.

The gala is the opening event in a week-long residency by SBYOV that will take music to schools and community organizations, promote the ideas behind El Sistema and culminate in a massive orchestral concert for an audience of 14,000 students.

For tickets for this extraordinary event, contact the Four Seasons Centre box office at 416-363-8231 or visit www.fourseasonscentre.ca.

For more information about the full Celebration of Music Week, please follow this link http://www.glenngould.ca

For further information: Media Contact: Beth Sulman - [phone], [email protected]