Erasmus Prize 2010 - The Future of European Classical Music

Erasmus Prize 2010 Awarded to Jose Antonio Abreu

AMSTERDAM, December 17 - The Praemium Erasmianum Foundation (Amsterdam) has awarded the Erasmus
Prize 2010 to Jose Antonio Abreu, founder director of El Sistema (Venezuela).

The theme of the Erasmus Prize 2010 is 'The Future of European Classical
Music'.

The Prize is awarded to Mr Abreu in appreciation of his efforts to
involve a large group of young people in music making, offering them
inspiration and a new social context. El Sistema is the National Network of
Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela. This organisation, originally
called Social Action for Music, has become an important factor in the
training of professional musicians and is instrumental in reaching new
audiences for classical music worldwide.

The Prize is awarded annually to a person who, within the cultural
traditions of Europe, has made an especially important contribution to
culture, society or social science in Europe. The prize money is a sum of EUR
150.000.

The award ceremony of the Prize will take place on 7 October 2010 in the
Recital Hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, has invited the Teresa Carreno Youth Orchestra,
which is part of El Sistema, to give a concert in the Main Hall of the
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam and to develop an education project for this
occasion.

www.erasmusprijs.org; www.fesnojiv.gob.ve

Information: Dr Max Sparreboom, Praemium Erasmianum Foundation, T +31-20-6752753, F +31-20-6752231, E spe at erasmusprijs.org