Gustavo Dudamel, as well as Bay Area fans of his classical music performances, are facing the consequences of the conductor speaking out against the Venezuelan government as political and economic turmoil grows in the South American country.
Cal Performances announced that the Sept. 21 National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela concert, with Dudamel as conductor, had been canceled.
The New York Times reported that the government of President Nicolás Maduro has cancelled the youth orchestra’s entire four-city North American tour.
The order from the government came in the wake of Dudamel’s increasingly forceful criticisms of the Maduro government’s handling of the country’s crisis, the New York Times said.
Dudamel is also the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. For a long time, he had been reluctant to be drawn into a discussion about Venezuelan politics. Critics say that’s because he had been a supporter of the socialist Maduro, who in turn had been one of Dudamel’s biggest promoters, according to the Washington Post.
But Dudamel, 36, started to speak up after a young viola player was killed during a street protest in May. The musician had been trained in Venezuela’s world-famous and state-sponsored El Sistema musical education program.
Dudamel, whom the Times called Venezuela’s most well-known cultural export, had also been trained in the program and continued to tour internationally with its ensembles.
After the musician’s death, Dudamel issued a statement, telling the government “enough is enough.” Last month, he penned a New York Times opinion piece condemning the government’s plans to hold a vote that would allow it to rewrite the country’s constitution.
“As a result of my unwavering respect for justice and human diversity, I have an obligation, as a Venezuelan citizen, to speak out against the unconstitutional decision by the government to convene a national constituent assembly, which will have the power not only to rewrite the Constitution but also to dissolve state institutions,” he wrote.
The decision to cancel the youth orchestra’s tour came after Maduro openly mocked Dudamel in a TV appearance Friday.
“I hope God forgives you,” Maduro said.
The youth orchestra had been scheduled to perform at the Greek Theatre. After the cancellation, Dudamel issued a four-part statement on Twitter, calling the decision “heartbreaking” but saying, “We will continue to play and to fight for a better Venezuela and a better world.”
We will continue to play and to fight for a better Venezuela and a better world. (4/4) #MusicUnites #TocarYLuchar #KeepPlaying #Venezuela
— Gustavo Dudamel (@GustavoDudamel) August 21, 2017
Cal Performances artistic director Matías Tarnopolsky said in a statement the arts series was “disappointed” with the development, “as I know the Bay Area community will be.” Dudamel, considered one of the world’s most popular conductors, has been made several well-received appearances in the Bay Area.
“The (Venezuelan Youth) Orchestra has an open invitation to Berkeley — we need now to engage the power of music to build bridges and create dialogue, and I look forward to welcoming these spirited, young musicians to share their artistry with us as soon as possible,” Tarnopolsky said in his statement.
Those who had tickets for the concert can apply the value of the tickets toward another Cal Performances event in the 2017/18 season, donate the tickets, or request a refund, Cal Performances said. Call the ticket office at 510-642-9988 for more information.
