Prospects of El Sistema in Korea?

El Sistema has taken thousands of Venezuelan kids from drug- and violence-infested situations by giving them violins instead of guns. Since its inception in the South American country in 1975, the classical music education system has taken root overseas and fostered top-class artists such as the star conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

In Korea, various initiatives have been taken for children’s music education, among them being the Lindenbaum Music Festival, which, since 2009, has invited revered musicians such as Maestro Charles Dutoit to work with local youths.

The festival is now looking to implement a program inspired by El Sistema, and will hold a seminar on Tuesday and Wednesday in Seoul.

The seminar aims to highlight various issues in introducing the program in Korea, including the limitations, and will outline how the original system was established in Venezuela, examine case studies and provide a platform for discussion.

Sponsored by the Venezuelan Embassy to Korea, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event will feature distinguished guests who can provide a firsthand account of their El Sistema experience.

Nicolas Real, a flutist who was educated through El Sistema, will speak on the current situation of the program and share success stories. March Churchill, the director of El Sistema U.S.A., where El Sistema was the most successfully adopted among 22 countries, will give a speech on the “Power of Social Change Through Music in the United States.”

“I really wish to raise awareness about what El Sistema actually is in Korea,” Won Hyung -joon, the executive director of Lindenbaum, told The Korea Times last week over the phone.

“There have been many efforts in Korea calling themselves El Sistema here, and last year the Ministry of Health and Welfare spent 5 billion won on music programs through 38 local governments that were supposedly modeled after El Sistema.

“Most of these programs target underprivileged and physically disabled children, but operate without a set guideline or properly educated instructors. It cannot be successful just because you have specific underprivileged subjects. The actual El Sistema is an orchestral music-making program that is open to everyone. I hope the seminar will enable experts and those interested in the topic to discuss the matter.”

The seminar will also offer local viewpoints. Lee Seong-ho, a professor from Joongang University’s Department of Education, will suggest points to consider for the successful adoption of El Sistema in Korea, while documentary producer Ji Hye-won will introduce the case of El Sistema applied at a local elementary school.

The seminar will take place from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Dream Hall, KT Olleh Square in Jongno. It will be followed by a concert featuring performances by the seminar’s speaker and flutist Real as well as violinist Marko Komonko, pianist Min Ji-sun, musical actress Lee Josephine, guitarist Kang Woong and percussionists Raul Vergara and Yoon Jae-kyung.

A workshop will follow suite Wednesday afternoon, featuring an instructor from the Venezuelan El Sistema and the Sejong Dream Support Orchestra. It will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the fifth floor of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Jongno.

For more information on the seminar and workshop, call (02) 720-1013 or email info@lbmc.co.kr.

Source:Korea Times