The national network of El Sistema-inspired programs in the US began as a program of the New England Conservatory, forged in partnership with TED following the 2009 TED Prize awarded to Maestro José Antonio Abreu. The Sistema Fellows Program, a crucial element, trained 50 musician activists and community organizers to establish and grow Sistema-inspired programs across the United States. Pictured on the right is Mark Churchill with Abreu. Mark Churchill was instrumental in bringing El Sistema to the United States and is the founder of El Sistema USA.
