OFFICIAL STATEMENT RE: JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER’S JAZZ ACROSS THE AMERICAS TOUR IN CARACAS, VENEZUELA

After much consideration, Jazz at Lincoln Center has made the difficult decision to reschedule our concerts and educational activities which were to take place this week in Caracas. Unfortunately, our presence in Venezuela at this particular moment in time could distract from the well-deserved celebration of El Sistema’s 40 years of excellence.

Over the past decade, we have developed a longstanding artistic and educational partnership with the young musicians and the presenters in Venezuela. This week, we had anticipated presenting two concerts and ten educational workshops to attract, engage and inspire thousands of students and members of the community.

The impact of Maestro Abreu’s pioneering music education and performance through his El Sistema cannot be understated. From Venezuela to the world has come a method of music education that is transformative in nature, global in scale, and peerless in quality. We at Jazz at Lincoln Center strive to embody that same spirit of excellence and commitment to education, using music and culture to uplift the human spirit. And, we look forward to doing so together with our friends in Caracas, at a future date.

Greg Scholl
Executive Director
Jazz at Lincoln Center