Venezuela Symphony orchestra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Following the dissolution in January of 1929 of the Union Filarmónica Nacional, a group of 26 professional musicians met at the invitation of the maestro Vicente Emilio Sojo. This meeting took place January 15, 1930 in the Caracas Musical Declamation Academy (today named" José Ángel Lamas") and established the Venezuela Symphony Orchestra. Of the most enthusiastic initiators of the idea we can name, among others, the violinist Ascanio Negretti (first concertino of the institution), the flautist Simón Alvarez, and the viola-player Luis Calcaño. Overcoming various adversities, the orchestra gave its first public performance in June 24, 1930, dedicated, according to the program, to “the high civil employees of the State, to the artists, writers and to the very cultured Caracas society”
The continuous activity from its beginnings in 1930, has generated positive reactions not only from the public attending the concerts, but also in musical, intellectual and political personalities of historical relevance. Of the recognition given the orchestra, perhaps the most important is to be declared in 1980 “Artistic Patrimony of the Nation”. During its long trajectory the OSV has been heard in many Venezuelan venues: National Theater of Caracas, the Municipal Theater of Caracas, the Acoustic Shell of Bello Monte, the Aula Magna of the Central University of Venezuela, the Poliedro de Caracas; also from the 1950s the orchestra has traveled abroad to other American countries and Europe.
In the 60s and beginnings of the 70s, Pedro Antonio Ríos Reyna, then president of the society, made efforts to obtain a permanent home for the orchestra. Despite the sudden death of Ríos Reyna, the seed germinated, and the April 19, 1983, within the framework of a touching concert, the O.S.V inaugurated their new home, the Ríos Reyna concert room in the Teresa Carreño Cultural Complex.
