Please note: this program is not administered as an NEC College program.
Please follow the instructions specific to this program contained within the application form; you will not be interacting with the NEC College Admissions Office or following College admissions procedures outlined elsewhere in this section of the NEC website.
The Abreu Fellows Program at New England Conservatory trains outstanding young postgraduate musicians and music educators, “passionate for their art and for social justice,” who seek to guide the development of El Sistema programs in the U.S. and beyond.
The program is named after Dr. José Antonio Abreu ’02 hon. D.M. Back in the 1970s, Dr. Abreu brought together 11 youngsters to play music in a garage in Caracas, Venezuela. Over the years, Abreu built El Sistema—a national system of orchestral training—to a scale that now serves hundreds of thousands of young people.
The curriculum provides the Abreu Fellows with in-depth knowledge of the mission and musical methodology of the El Sistema vision, in addition to practical skills in leadership, communication, cultural understanding, behavioral management, organizational development, fundraising and working with underserved and at-risk youth and communities. In addition, Fellows’ skills as “teaching artists” will be developed through study, observation and coaching.
The first semester comprises exposure to the work of El Sistema in Venezuela and in El Sistema USA models, followed by intensive training in focused workshops presented by leading figures in music, music education, child development, business, technology and communications.
The second semester includes a two-month period of observation and study in Venezuela, followed by a series of guided internships at El Sistema-inspired “nucleos.”
Upon completion of the program, graduates are expected to join the staff of an El Sistema–inspired program for a period of at least one year. They will become members of an ever-expanding network of Abreu Fellows, mentoring other leaders and teachers while developing their own local programs.
More about El Sistema USA
El Sistema USA in the media
El Sistema USA website
El Sistema USA Movie sample from ElSistemaUSAmovie on Vimeo.
How to Apply
The Application Form is an editable Word document.
Please complete and save under a new file name, and send as an e-mail attachment to abreufellows@necmusic.edu with the subject line: “Abreu Fellows Application.” In addition to the completed application form, please attach your resume and essays, as described in the form and marked with an asterisk(*). If you prefer, you may send these materials by mail to:
Abreu Fellows Program
New England Conservatory
290 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115-5018
2010-03-08
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN