The Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (Spanish: Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela) is a Venezuelan symphony orchestra. Named after the Venezuelan national hero Simón Bolívar, it was initially the apex of El Sistema, the country's system of youth orchestras. It has been called a "great pride" of the country's artistic life with some of the country's best young classically trained musicians. The economist José Antonio Abreu established the first Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar on 12 February 1978. Gustavo Dudamel has been the orchestra's artistic director since 1999. The orchestra has performed internationally under notable conductors, including Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim and others. By 2011, it was no longer a youth orchestra, as the average age of its members had reached the early 20s. The next official national youth orchestra is known as the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra.
