Official Biography
Biography
José Jesús
Olivetti
Biography
"José Jesús Olivetti, is one of our promises in the Orchestra Conducting of Venezuela ..."
Master Jose Antonio Abreu
"José Jesús Olivetti dirige con la intensidad de quien ha hecho de la música su idioma más profundo. Formado entre la pasión latinoamericana y la tradición europea, su gesto en el podio es puente entre culturas, emoción y excelencia..."
"Durante todo el concierto el Maestro Olivetti estuvo conectado con la orquesta atendiendo todo lo que acontecía en la partitura. Su gesto, muy expresivo y claro hizo que los músicos de la orquesta, respondieran con eficacia a su cometido..."
Mundo Clasico
Young Venezuelan Violinist and Orchestra Conductor trained in the renowned National System of Children and Youth Orchestras of Venezuela, where he began his musical education at an early age. He studied violin with Savino D’Addona, Rubén Camacho, and Francisco Díaz, and orchestral conducting with Tarcisio Barreto and later with Maestro José Antonio Abreu. He continued his conducting studies in Europe under the guidance of Jorma Panula, Colin Metters, Alex Treger, and Maurice Hamers. He received scholarships from the Elena Probst Foundation and the Theodor Rogler Stiftung in Munich, supporting his development as both a violinist and conductor.
He has participated in prominent international courses and festivals, including the Academia Latinoamericana de Violín, the Festival y Academia del Nuevo Mundo, the Festival Unión de las Artes, the International Winter Festival of Campos do Jordao in Brazil, the Bruckner, Berlioz, Strawinsky Conducting Festival with the Ruse Philharmonic Orchestra, Blue Danube Opera Conducting with the Bourgas State Opera, the Schlern International Music Festival in Italy, the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin Festival conducting the Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra, and the Düsseldorf Conducting Festival, among others. His studies with Maestro José Antonio Abreu combined musical excellence with social commitment, including participation in international tours with the Orquesta Juvenil de Caracas and the creation of pedagogical and orchestral projects in Venezuela, such as the Orquestra Centro-Norte in the state of Lara.
In 2018, he was appointed musical and artistic director of the C.O.N.SONANZA project in Germany, which he led until 2024, inspired by the pedagogical-musical model of the Venezuelan “Sistema de Orquestas.” That same year, he joined the Seraphin Ensemble München as guest violinist and continued his conducting studies with Maurice Hamers and violin training with Senta Kraemer at the Leopold Mozart College of Music der Universität Augsburg. He has actively supported the development of musicians and projects at conservatories, music schools, and youth orchestras in Venezuela and around the world.
In 2022, he founded the Olivetti Foundation, an institution dedicated to cultural, pedagogical, and human development through music, from which all his artistic and educational projects stem. These initiatives include the international competition “Tocar y Luchar”, aimed at promoting and showcasing the talent of young Venezuelan musicians both inside and outside the country, and the Angola Philharmonic program 2023–2024, aimed at strengthening and training orchestras in Angola. Despite a demanding concert schedule, Olivetti remains strongly committed to the pedagogical and artistic development of young musicians, supporting projects in music schools, conservatories, and youth orchestras worldwide. In the same spirit, he delivered lecture series and masterclasses at the Red de Escuelas de Música de Medellín in Colombia, extending his work as a mentor and motivator of young musicians.
Olivetti currently serves as Music Director of the Philludiker Orchester Munich, the Bodensee Ärzteorchester, and the Garchinger Sinfonieorchester, as well as Principal Guest Conductor of the Geração Symphony Orchestra of Portugal. He is violinist of the Seraphin-Ensemble München and the Münchner Kammerphilharmonie Dacapo. With these orchestras, he fosters artistic growth, collaboration, and international projection, reaffirming his commitment to orchestra development and the training of new generations of musicians through artistic excellence and cultural exchange.
El Sistema
José Jesús Olivetti began his musical studies in the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras and Choirs of Venezuela, internationally known as El Sistema — a social inclusion project that uses music as a tool for human transformation, collective construction, and as a bridge to unite communities. Founded in 1975 by Maestro José Antonio Abreu, El Sistema has become a model recognized worldwide for its ability to combine artistic excellence with social commitment, promoting equal opportunities through free and accessible musical education for all.
From an early age, José Jesús was an active participant in this educational and artistic movement, taking part in the orchestral programs at the children’s, youth, and professional levels, thus experiencing the spirit of cooperation, discipline, and excellence that defines El Sistema. His violin training began under the guidance of professors Sabino D’Addona and Francisco Díaz, and later continued with Maestro Rubén Camacho, in Caracas, within the same institution. He also participated in various courses and activities organized by the Latin American Violin Academy, where he deepened his knowledge of symphonic repertoire and instrumental pedagogy.
Inspired by Maestro Abreu’s belief that “orchestras and choirs are much more than artistic structures: they are schools for life,” José Jesús Olivetti found in El Sistema not only a high-level musical education but also a school of values, leadership, and social commitment. In this environment, he learned that orchestral and choral practice is a human meeting space, where music becomes a means of transformation and hope.
After taking part in all the sequential stages of El Sistema’s orchestral programs, José Jesús Olivetti began his path as an orchestral conductor. His first experience came as an orchestral coach, giving him his initial contact with leading a group of musicians. In this stage, he was responsible for preparing the string sections of different orchestras at various levels within El Sistema, developing a deep understanding of collective work and musical leadership through daily practice.
He later continued his training with El Sistema’s orchestras, broadening his experience and artistic maturity. Upon completing this stage, he had the opportunity to take full charge of concerts, consolidating his vocation as a conductor. During this period, he received lessons and mentorship from Tarsicio Barreto and Maestro José Antonio Abreu, experiences that definitively shaped his vision of conducting as an art devoted to community, excellence, and collective inspiration.
