Performances of The Rite of Spring don’t get much better than this. If the words astounding and dazzling seem a bit rich, then let me go further by adding that this remarkable youth orchestra is the result of an astonishing new approach to teaching classical music. This new approach, El Sistema, comes from a most unpredictable source – the slums of Venezuela. And I quote: “In 1975, Venezuelan economist and amateur musician José Abreu founded Social Action for Music. Abreu has dedicated himself to a utopian dream in which an orchestra represents the ideal society, and the sooner a child is nurtured in that environment, the better for all.”

El Sistema has been a huge success with over 30 orchestras in Venezuela, creating a revolution in classical music education. In many cases it has lifted poverty-stricken youngsters out of lives of crime and despair. I knew nothing about Gustavo Dudamel when I first saw him in London a few years ago. After just two concerts with the Philharmonia, I knew (along with anybody else who was in the hall) that a great conductor was emerging before our eyes.

A graduate of El Sistema, he is now the musical director of the...