Due to the lack of a full complement of qualified musicians interested in this program, it has been temporarily suspended until further notice.

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WorldTeach is pleased and honored to be partnering in Venezuela with their internationally-renowned classical music program.  WorldTeach will help identify and support conservatory-trained musicians to teach in three of their major music centers.  The volunteers will give private music lessons, coach chamber music ensembles, and hold orchestral sectional rehearsals for high intermediate and advanced instrumentalists ages 13–17.  They will also give master classes and have opportunities to perform.

Fundación del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela (known as FESNOJIV or simply El Sistema) is a unique program supported by the government of Venezuela that uses classical music as a social action tool, in particular to intervene with at-risk children.   Participating children and teens come to the music centers for 3–4 hours each weekday and on Saturdays to practice and rehearse.  Most children join El Sistema when they are quite young, and remain in the system through high school.  There are over 265,000 children and teens participating in this program in 161 music centers throughout the country.

El Sistema has invited WorldTeach to help identify and support outstanding chamber musicians who are interested in teaching and coaching for the academic year. 

The first groups will depart in late August 2008 and teach through mid July 2009.  El Sistema is seeking musicians who will, after joining the WorldTeach Venezuela program, form the following ensembles:

2 string quartets

1 brass quintet

1 woodwind quintet

2 percussionists

This is an outstanding opportunity to learn about and to contribute to El Sistema.  The music centers where volunteer musicians will teach are open from about 1:00PM–6:00PM on weekdays, and on Saturday mornings, so participating volunteers will have significant blocks of time to practice and rehearse. 

Volunteer musicians will live in furnished apartments near the music centers where they teach and perform. Ensembles will be in residence at one of three participating music centers.  Each group will be at a music center for approximately three months and then rotate to the next, so that young instrumentalists on the various instruments at each center will have the opportunity to work with the WorldTeach volunteers during the year.

Volunteers will receive a stipend of approximately US$300 per month.  From this they must provide their own food, and general expenses.  Transportation will be provided to the centers, and when ensembles are asked to travel to outlying music centers to perform and give master classes, then transportation, hotels and meals will be provided. 

Most of the cost of the program is provided by El Sistema, but there is a volunteer participation fee of US$2,500 per person.

In addition to the standard WorldTeach application, prospective volunteers should submit recordings featuring individual performances of one fast and one slow movement of a concerto, as well as group performances of one fast and one slow movement of a piece from the standard repertoire (if already part of a pre-existing group).

Applicants with Spanish-language skills are preferred, however, language classes will be also be offered in-country.  Volunteers are not required to have taught music previously.  It is important, however, that participating volunteers take seriously the task of bringing the highest level of teaching and coaching to their students. 

The volunteer ensembles formed within the program will remain together and stay in residence teaching and coaching at a music center for approximately three months before rotating to another center.  Each ensemble will spend one-third of the year at each of the three centers that have been selected for this program.  They will also travel to nearby music centers to give master classes, lessons, and performances.  Volunteers will live in program-provided apartments near the music centers.  They will receive a stipend to cover costs, including food.

If you would like to be placed on the official interest list for the Venezuela Year program, please write to info@worldteach.org.

For more information on the year-long music teaching program in Venezuela please see: