The days when Germany, Austria and Italy ruled the classical music roost are long gone. Today the powerhouses, astonishingly, of the classical music world are Finland and Venezuela.

At a time when music has all but dropped off the state school curriculum in Britain, the Finns and Venezuelans have been ploughing serious money into nurturing musical skills in the young.

Finland has turned out a string of conductors, soloists and composers who now dominate the global scene. The Venezuelan story is even more remarkable. Thirty years ago a young conductor and politician, José Antonio Abreu, started an after-school orchestra to get children off the streets. Seven came to his first rehearsal. Two weeks later 150 turned up. Today 250,000 pupils learn instruments for four hours a day after school. El Sistema employs 15,000 teachers and runs more than 200 youth orchestras.

The Simón BolÍvar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and its young conductor, Gustavo Dudamel, appear in Edinburgh and at the Proms this week. Still in his mid-20s, Dudamel has landed one of the world’s plum conducting jobs: heading the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

It will be fascinating to see if the Scots can turn El Sistema into McSistema. Venezuela’s musical renaissance has not come cheap. Its Government and corporations pour millions into the scheme each year. One wonders whether the Scottish Executive will be as generous.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Please help: maimed children of war want their lives back
• Unlocking the cruellest prison
• Prince Charles named in £81m court battle