The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela is a Venezuelan orchestra based in Caracas. Founded in 1975, by José Antonio Abreu, the ensemble was established as the apex of El Sistema, a national music education program for students from poor socio-economic backgrounds. Since 1999, the orchestra has been led by artistic director Gustavo Dudamel. The group achieved international recognition for its performances under conductors including Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle and Daniel Barenboim. In 2007, the ensemble debuted at the BBC Proms and appeared at Carnegie Hall. By 2011, the group was no longer classified as a youth orchestra as the average age of its members had increased. Their discography includes the album Fiesta and recordings for the label Deutsche Grammophon featuring the works of Ludwig van Beethoven, Gustav Mahler and Peter Tchaikovsky. In 2015, the orchestra performed a residency at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
