El Sistema National Orchestra

El Sistema National Orchestra is a youth orchestra with members ranging in age from 11 to 19 years old, from arts schools and El Sistema programmes throughout Sweden. This autumn concert is traditionally the conclusion of a music camp held in Södertälje and Stockholm. The orchestra has now grown to over 60 members, supported by professional musicians from, among other ensembles, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. 

“Our vision is to show through the orchestra how far El Sistema in Sweden has come,” says Ron Davis Alvarez, conductor of the El Sistema National Orchestra. 

El Sistema is a model for choral and orchestral training that was developed in Venezuela. It is based on the vision of music’s capacity to help people grow socially, and to strengthen community as well as children and young people’s self-confidence and sense of identity. In Sweden, El Sistema has been present as an educational programme since 2009 and has continuously grown ever since.