New soul of Shanghai(2)

Photos provided to China Daily

Dudamel participated in El Sistema since childhood. The famous musical education programhas given opportunities to "people who are excluded from the society, to be part of the society through art", he says, proud of the way children in need can enrich their lives with the arts. El Sistema, founded by Jose Antonio Abreu in 1975, has been like "the flag or national symbol" of Venezuela, Dudamel says proudly. Dudamel started with El Sistema studying the violin, and he turned to conducting when he was 14.

He became the artistic director of Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar at the age of 18. "I started to play with them when I was 9 or 10 — 23 years later we are still together," Dudamel says of the orchestra that has become a family for him. "They are my brothers and my sisters. Some of them are my sons and my daughters by now."

In North America, Dudamel has worked with Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra for six seasons. He made his debut with LA Philharmonic soon after he won the Gustav Mahler Conducting Prize in 2005. The concert at Hollywood Bowl was watched by 7,000 people. "A moment like that always stays in your heart,"Dudamel says.

Although classical music has a well established canon, the Venezuelan believes it is important to avoid routine, and to always play a piece like it is the first time. "It's not to be humble in an acting way,but really to be honest in this humble position as an artist," he says of the way he puts himself in front of masterpieces created by geniuses like Sibelius, Beethoven, Bach and Shostakovich.

"We are recreating the masterpiece through our instruments." "Every note is a universe," he says, quoting Mahler. "The universe is infinite, expanding and transforming everything, all the time. That's the way music is to me. "When I sit in front of a piece, I try to think in the way the composer was thinking, also how I can achieve my interpretation to arrive a little closer to the level, where we never arrived before, to the way of thinking of the composer."

Long history

While the concert hall is new, the resident Shanghai Symphony Orchestra dates back to 1879. It began as the Shanghai Public Band, conducted by French flutist Jean Remusat. The band became known as "the greatest orchestra in the Far East" in the early 20th century.

Now the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra carries on with the mission to "communicate with the world through music", according to director Chen Guangxian.

The first music season in the new hall continues through June 28, with a concert about every three days. Starting with the Vienna Philharmonic, a series of world famous companies, such as London Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic and North German Radio Symphony Orchestra, will present concerts at the venue.