UNESCO recognizes Caracas as a creative city of music

Caracas was officially recognized as a creative city of music by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said this Saturday.

In a press release, the Foreign Ministry stated that the Government ‘officially’ received the designation of this title that had been requested in July, when the mayor of the country’s capital, Carmen Meléndez, reported that they sent a report to UNESCO making the request.

‘The Minister for University Education, Sandra Oblitas, received the distinction from the UNESCO Deputy Director of Culture, Ernesto Ottone, within the framework of the 42nd General Conference that was held in Paris, France, from November 7 to 22,’ detailed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

With this appointment, the Foreign Ministry continued, UNESCO ‘recognizes the musical richness and diversity of Caracas and, in addition, ratifies that the Venezuelan capital has conditions that encourage the emergence of creative musical manifestations of all genres.’

Likewise, he highlighted ‘the influence’ of the National System of Youth and Children’s Symphony Orchestras of Venezuela, created by the Venezuelan musician José Antonio Abreu, and recognized in 2021 as the largest orchestra in the world.

This system has allowed children and adolescents from all over Venezuela to be part of classical music training centers in 48 years, a work that has been recognized with the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts and the International Music Prize from UNESCO itself.