Caracas to hace International Music Complex

CAF and Fesnojiv presented the prizes for the competition for an architectural design for the Simon Bolivar International Social Action for Music Complex, a new music teaching center in Caracas which will benefit more children and young people from Venezuela and Latin America.

The event was held in the Social Action for Music Center in Amador Bendayán Boulevard. Caracas, in the presence of the founder of the Venezuelan National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs (Fesnojiv), José Antonio Abreu; CAF Vice President & Deputy CEO Luis Enrique Berrizbeitia; and the director of the Venezuelan Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel, among others.

The competition, which received 55 entries, was won by the architects Khristian Ceballos, Alejandro Méndez, Mawari Núñez, Daniel Otero, Jean-Marc Río and collaborators.

Maestro Abreu expressed his satisfaction and gratitude to CAF for assuming "such a beautiful responsibility of sponsoring a great home for music in Venezuela.” He added that the creation of an International Music Complex would generate opportunities for children and young people in many of the countries of the region.

Berrizbeitia congratulated everyone involved in the initiative of creating a new Social Action for Music Complex. He said he was gratified by the talent of young Venezuelan architects who demonstrated creativity and commitment in their works.

The executive emphasized the importance for CAF of supporting development of the musical skills of young people, their social inclusion and education in values, which is the reason why a decade ago the development bank began the Social Action for Music Program through choral and orchestral practice.

Inspired by the system promoted by Fesnojiv, the CAF program includes the Andean and Latin American Youth Symphony Orchestras, the Andean Voices Choir (VAC), the Traveling Andean Conservatory (CAI), and the Andean String Instruments Workshop (CAI). To date, the Program has promoted the integrated musical training of 40,000 children and young people, 380 teachers and 50 string instrument players from the continent.

During the event, prizes were also presented for second and third place in the architectural competition, along with four honorable mentions. The second prize went to Urban-Think Tank Arquitectos, Urbanistas, C.A. formed by the architects Alfredo Brillembourg, Hubert Klumpner, Michael Contento, Lindsey Sherman, Rafael Machado, Melissa Ramos, Willem Boning; and SLiK Steinemann Lemmerzahl Kueng Architekten GMBH, formed by the architects Lukas Kueng, Steffen Lemmerzahl, Ramias Steinemann, Ivo Piazza and Thomas Vermeulen.

The third prize went to the architect Sullka Lima, while the selections for the four mentions were the architects Juan Castellanos, Laura Plazas, Jairo Fleitas, Carlos Jiménez, Alejandra Vergara and collaborators; Carlos Olaizola, Alfredo Sanabria, Andrés Orellana and collaborators; Odart Gtraterol, Ricardo Rebolledo and Wilhelm Scheuren. The fourth mention was for Micucci Arquitectos Asociados, formed by Franco Micucci, Aliz Mena, Claudia Vergara, Andrés Guzmán, Sarah Lipps, Gabriela Semeco and collaborators.

The jury was formed by Yasuhisa Toyota, acoustic engineer from Japan; Iñaqui Abalos, Spanish architect; Anita de la Rosa, landscape architect; Lorenzo González Casas, urban planning architect; Eduardo Guzmán, representative of Libertador Municipality, Caracas; Omar Seijas, vice president of the Venezuelan Architects’ Association. The alternate jury members were Pedro Franco, architect; and Paola Posani, representative of Libertador municipality.