Abimael Melendez

Venezuelan conductor Abimael Melendez grew up immersed in orchestra music in his hometown of Carora, Venezuela, participating in the El Sistema program.

Renowned globally as a successful music initiative, El Sistema provides a sophisticated musical academic foundation for young musicians where Mr. Melendez had the chance to engage in various capacities as a student, teacher, and conductor.

With a passion for music as a potent instrument for community transformation, Mr. Melendez has undertaken studies in Music Education, concentrating on conducting, at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

He has enhanced his expertise through masterclasses and workshops with notable figures such as Andrea Vela, Antonio Berdugo, Diane Wittry, Anna Edwards, Kenneth Kiesler, Mark Shapiro, Luis Miguel Gonzalez, Eduardo Portal, Gary Lewis and Silas Nathaniel.

Abimael Melendez currently holds the position of String Program Director at Homer OPUS in Homer, Alaska, and continues to foster his ties with Venezuela through El Sistema, the Yaracuy Philharmonic, and the Fundacion para el Desarrollo e Impulso de las Artes en Venezuela (FIDAV).