Gustavo Dudamel (L), Venezuelan conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, will perform a benefit concert Aug. 23 at the Hollywood Bowl to raise funds for communities affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. File Photo by Biel Alino/EPA
Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic will perform a benefit concert Aug. 23 at the Hollywood Bowl to raise funds for communities affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.
The event, titled “A Concert for Venezuela,” will feature Dudamel leading the orchestra in a full program with special guest artists to be announced later.
All proceeds will support the Earthquake Recovery to Support Venezuelan Communities Fund, created in partnership with the United Nations Development Program and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, known as CAF.
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“Venezuela will always be my home, and at every moment my thoughts are with the families whose lives have been changed forever by this tragedy,” Dudamel said in a statement released this week by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
“The suffering is immense, but so is the strength and resilience of our people. This concert at the Hollywood Bowl is an invitation to come together and transform our compassion into action.”
The benefit will follow the twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, causing widespread destruction in Caracas, La Guaira and surrounding areas.
Dudamel said the partnerships established through the recovery fund will help ensure that emergency humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need while also supporting long-term reconstruction efforts.
“Every person who joins us and every contribution made is a reminder to the people of Venezuela that they are not alone,” he said. “Together, through music, generosity and hope, we will help our country heal and rebuild.”
Kim Noltemy, president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said the institution has a responsibility to support communities beyond the concert stage.
“In moments of profound need, our responsibility as an institution extends beyond the stage,” Noltemy said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to provide direct financial support to relief efforts for communities in Venezuela with a $50,000 charitable donation and to stand alongside Gustavo in bringing this concert to life at the Bowl.”
According to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Dudamel and all participating musicians will donate their time for the performance.
Dudamel, 45, has been one of the world’s leading conductors for more than two decades. He rose to international prominence after leading Venezuela’s Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and has served as music and artistic director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009.
He also has conducted many of the world’s leading ensembles, including the Vienna Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
The concert will also mark Dudamel’s final appearance as the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s music and artistic director after 17 years leading the orchestra. He is scheduled to become music director of the New York Philharmonic afer his tenure in Los Angeles.
Tickets for the benefit concert are expected to go on sale through the Hollywood Bowl in the coming weeks.
