Amazing Performances

From this month's TED Conference:

The Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra contains the best high school musicians from Venezuela's life-changing music program, El Sistema. Led here by Gustavo Dudamel, they play Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10, 2nd movement, and Arturo Márquez' Danzón No. 2.

The orchestra is HUGE and the performances of these two pieces are amazing and moving. El Sistema is a program that has provided musical instruments and instruction to thousands of disadvantaged youths in Venezuela. It has transformed the lives of many of these kids and their families. Read more about it here.

The new TED Prizes were also announced recently. One of the three winners was José Abreu who founded El Sistema. His TED Prize wish:

I wish you would help create and document a special training program for at least 50 gifted young musicians, passionate for their art and for social justice, and dedicated to developing El Sistema in the US and in other countries.