14th Glenn Gould Prize to be Awarded to Gustavo Dudamel in a Special Presentation at Carnegie Hall on August 2, 2024
July 30, 2024
TORONTO (July 30, 2024) — The Glenn Gould Foundation is delighted to announce that the 14th Glenn Gould Prize will be awarded to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel during a special presentation at Carnegie Hall on August 2, 2024. The presentation coincides with Carnegie Hall’s World Orchestra Week (WOW!), a celebration of extraordinary youth ensembles from around the globe. On this day, Dudamel will conduct the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela, the youth orchestra from which he famously emerged. The presentation underscores Dudamel’s enduring dedication to young musicians and the transformative power of music education, which were among the many reasons for his selection as the 14th Glenn Gould Prize Laureate.
Dudamel’s influence as a conductor and advocate for music education as a human right for every child, is celebrated worldwide. He currently serves as the Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and will become the Music and Artistic Director of the New York Philharmonic in 2026. A former Glenn Gould Protégé Prize winner, chosen by Glenn Gould Prize Laureate and El Sistema founder José Antonio Abreu in 2009, Dudamel is the first individual to receive both the Glenn Gould Prize and the Protégé Prize.
Awarded biennially, The Glenn Gould Prize celebrates the exceptional achievements of each Laureate, reflecting the unique and innovative spirit of Glenn Gould himself. Previous Laureates include: Yo-Yo Ma, Robert LePage, Jessye Norman, José Antonio Abreu, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Obomsawin, Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Philip Glass and Oscar Peterson.
Just as the Nobel Prize symbolizes universal excellence in fields such as science, economics, literature, and statesmanship, The Glenn Gould Prize stands as a singular accolade for those working in the arts, communications, technology, and humanitarian endeavors. Guided by the belief that the arts are a force for human development, social progress, and individual enlightenment, the Foundation aims to elevate the achievements of the world’s living masters while promoting community-level initiatives that extend these important contributions.
Gustavo Dudamel’s recognition as a Glenn Gould Prize Laureate underscores his advocacy for music’s unifying power across the globe, inspired by his experience with Venezuela’s El Sistema program. Dudamel founded Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) in 2007, providing free instruments and music education to young people. He also co-chairs The Dudamel Foundation, which expands access to music and the arts for youth.
Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Dudamel began his conducting career as a youth in El Sistema, gaining international attention after winning the inaugural Bamberger Symphoniker Gustav Mahler Competition in 2004. His extensive career includes positions with the Gothenburg Symphony and the Paris Opera, and he is widely recognized for his contributions to music and culture.
“We are thrilled to honour Maestro Gustavo Dudamel with the 14th Glenn Gould Prize,” said Brian Levine, Executive Director, The Glenn Gould Foundation. “Presenting this award at Carnegie Hall, where Dudamel will conduct the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela, is a fitting tribute to his remarkable journey from a young musician in El Sistema to a globally renowned conductor. This moment embodies the essence of our mission: to celebrate those who use the arts to inspire and transform lives with a message of unity, healing, and hope.”
The Glenn Gould Prize Laureate is awarded a cash prize of CDN$100,000. Additionally, each Laureate selects an outstanding young artist demonstrating exceptional promise to receive the Protégé Prize, which includes a cash award of CDN$25,000. Dudamel selected two exceptional young artists to share the Protégé Prize: Andrés David Ascanio Abreu and Enluis Montes Olivar, recognizing Dudamel and the Glenn Gould Foundation’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of musical talent.
Andrés David Ascanio Abreu is a celebrated Venezuelan conductor and trumpeter. As Conductor of the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, he led the ensemble in a notable performance in Vienna in 2018. He has served as Assistant Conductor to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel and has been a guest conductor for multiple youth orchestras and festivals. Ascanio Abreu directed the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble during their Greece Tour and conducted the Guinness World Record-setting largest orchestra in 2021. He is currently the Musical Academic Director of El Sistema and Associate Conductor of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra.
Dynamic 27-year-old Venezuelan conductor Enluis Montes Olivar is garnering international acclaim. As the Associate Conductor of the Simón Bolívar Chamber Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of the Schwob Philharmonic, he recently won 1st Prize and the Orchestra Prize at the 2nd International Conducting Competition of University of Almería. Montes Olivar has debuted with the San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and New West Symphony. He previously served as a Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, leading performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Hollywood Bowl, where he was praised for his “virtuosic splendor.”
Nominees for The Glenn Gould Prize are submitted through an open, public nomination process and can come from a broad range of artistic fields, including musical creation or performance, film, video, television, radio, recordings and other electronic media, theatre, dance/choreography, writing, technology/innovation, architecture, and design. An international jury comprised of outstanding artists and professionals from diverse disciplines convenes in Toronto, Canada to review the nominees and select the Laureate.
About The Glenn Gould Foundation:
The Glenn Gould Foundation, established in 1983, is a registered Canadian charitable organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in the arts and promoting cultural enrichment globally. As a beacon of excellence across multiple arts disciplines, The Glenn Gould Foundation continues to draw upon the legacy of Glenn Gould to envision a more enlightened world, dedicated to fostering cultural understanding, expressing our shared humanity through the arts and inspiring creativity worldwide.
Through tentpole initiatives such as The Glenn Gould Prize and Instrumental: Music and Mental Health, in addition to myriad programs, presentations, collaborations and co-presentations with arts organizations, artists and scholars worldwide, the Foundation honours the legacy of the iconic Canadian pianist, thinker, broadcaster, and recording artist Glenn Gould’s legacy through cultural diplomacy.
The Foundation awards its esteemed $100,000 Glenn Gould Prize biennially to an individual in any creative discipline who has enriched the human condition through the arts.
Tune into the Gould Standard podcast, follow our social channels @glenngouldfoundation or visit our website www.glenngould.ca for more information.
Additional photos can be downloaded at this link
# # #
Media Contact:
Naomi Strasser
Aerial Communications Group
