"Bundle of energy": Dudamel with the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra on Asia tour

Sometimes he had to pinch himself, says Gustavo Dudamel, the Director of the interior rooms of the Berliner Philharmoniker. Ten years ago, he had been here for the first Time with the orchestra. "Was a dream come true," recalls the conductor. And yet he could not grasp it.

Now he is 38 and is one of the top musicians of the classical period. He is on the road a lot, the orchestra are with him in a queue. But Dudamel seems sometimes like the freshly-baked graduate of a school of music.

Excited, he told in an interview to the German press Agency from the last concert with the Philharmonic. In Berlin, he conducted Leonard Bernstein's Divertimento, a masterpiece of the "West Side Story"-composer. Then he is in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5. Symphony immersed. In a second concert series, he shines with the Fifth of Shostakovich and again amber. Confidently, he leads the orchestra through the musical abyss.

The concerts were sold out. Dudamel, who seemed to engage sooner with its sweeping movements on the Podium for the stars, is celebrated by the Philharmonic as a "bundle of energy". On the Podium he seems to be more economical and concentrated. He had grown up, in a critique after the second concert series.

Now he travels with the people of Berlin and the Berlin program through Asia as a guest conductor. On Friday evening, he was in Bangkok enthusiastically celebrated. The appearance in Nakhon Pathom about 50 kilometers away from Thailand's capital - there was enthusiastic applause. On the itinerary are up to 23. November Taiwan and China.

It is a somewhat unusual Tour. Traditionally, the orchestra takes such trips with his boss. But the New, Kirill Petrenko, only changes in the next time from Munich to Berlin. After saying goodbye to Simon Rattle, the Philharmonic orchestra will be playing this season without head.

The Venezuelan is a permanent guest in Berlin. "The orchestra gave me a lot of responsibility." However, unlike the chief conductor, he had to adapt the sound as a guest of Tradition and Orchestra. "This is like Dancing: You learn a little and also gives more a little. You adapt to the movement of your partner."

Dudamel, says the orchestra's artistic Director Andrea zietzsch man, belong to the ranks of young conductors with whom the orchestra work closely together. And with his Charisma he would be the ideal occupation for an Asia Tour. In addition, he is proficient in the core repertoire, the most important orchestral works, belonging to the trademark of the orchestra.

For ten years, Dudamel, principal conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. To him the founding of the youth orchestra, YOLA, which is directed with musical education offered primarily to the large Latin-American community of the American metropolis.

thanks to its broadcast of Dudamel for Galabet the classical music will mainly appeal to a young audience - even if you already have a few gray hairs Shine through his curls, as he notes himself. The Maestro has performed in "sesame street," and was the model for the US series "Mozart in the Jungle". In 2016, he conducted in the break of the Superbowl, and performed with Beyoncé, and musicians of the Band Cold Play - more Superstar Status in the United States for an artist.

For the Scion of a musical family from Barquisimeto, to the North of Venezuela - mother, a voice teacher, father, trombone player in a Salsa Band - was the way to the Podium probably. "I was never under pressure." He started with the violin ("To Learn, we had to share an Instrument with 20 other children"), eventually, he stood before the orchestra, and took the baton. "For me, it was the most Normal thing in the world," he said in Spanish.

Dudamel was Dominated by the now world-famous "Sistema". The network of youth orchestras and music schools, the educator José Antonio Abreu in 1975, founded, is considered worldwide as a model. In hundreds, distributed across the whole country "Nucleo" have learned hundreds of thousands of children and young people an Instrument, and played in the orchestra. The resulting "Simón Bolivar youth orchestra" was the most important cultural ambassadors of the country.

With the economic and political crash in Venezuela, the situation has deteriorated dramatically for "El Sistema". With the death of the founder Abreu in March, the main support was lost. The world-famous Dudamel has long refused to bring a public voice to the plight of the country, in the President Hugo Chávez (1954-2013) and his successor Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela collapsed. The Dudamel has entered fierce criticism at home and abroad.

""El Sistema" lives on, despite the very complex situation that we are experiencing in Venezuela," says Dudamel, without mentioning directly the government. Many young talents have left the country, he'll lose but hope. "As long as a child is taught, lives "El Sistema"".

Dudamel strongly opposes accusations that he is not giving a shit. Via Skype, he conducts rehearsals, he was also again and again to visit there. "The people know only a fraction of my activities." In the tense situation he see his role but especially as the founder of the unit. If the at all under the autocratic ruling Maduro is possible? Dudamel, one sees the answer. "I think the people is wise and will decide his future himself."