Marielisa and Mariesther Alvarez are founders and directors of the Boston String Academy, an El Sistema inspired program which hosts an outstanding children’s string orchestra curriculum.
They are graduates of ”El Sistema”, the National System of Youth and Children Orchestras of Venezuela, and hold Master of Music Degrees and Graduate Performance Diplomas in violin performance from The Boston Conservatory. They have had the privilege of working with internationally acclaimed artists such as Gustavo Dudamel, Jose Antonio Abreu, Giuseppe Sinopoli, Pamela Frank, Joseph Silverstein, Mela Tenenbaum, the Berlin Philharmonic String Quartet, among others.
The Alvarez sisters apply a unique pedagogical approach combining different methods and techniques from their own training at El Sistema in Venezuela, studies with Rictor Noren at the Boston Conservatory, the period of study with Mimi Zweig at the String Academy of Indiana University, and with the founder of the Colourstrings method, Geza Szilvay in Hungary, Italy and Finland. In the Spring of 2016, they were chosen among the 100 most influential people for the Hispanic community in Massachusetts. This is an outstanding recognition from El Planeta’s Powermeter event. And most recently, they received the Mass Cultural Council’s 2019 Commonwealth Awards through their work with Boston String Academy.
Marielisa and Mariesther are currently faculty at Longy School of Music of Bard College and artistic directors of its Sistema Side by Side Orchestra. They collaborate regularly with El Sistema in Venezuela teaching at the different nucleos and Summer Festivals. They have worked closely with Los Angeles Philharmonic at the “YOLA National Festival” initiative.
Boston String Academy is a non-profit organization inspired by El Sistema that provides a vibrant string orchestra program for inner-city young students, forging social integration through music by creating a path for young people to become sensitive, responsible and creative human beings. We offer many performance opportunities, master classes, lessons and ensemble settings, which will enable students to build self-confidence, discipline, commitment, social skills, and other fundamental values essential to every child’s development. As part of the efforts to expose our students to the highest level of musical expression, we provide them with opportunities to work with internationally acclaimed artists including Rictor Noren, Lynn Chang, David Ying, Martin Chalifour, Edicson Ruiz, Midori Goto, and world renowned conductors Gustavo Dudamel and Sir Simon Rattle.