August 12, 2025
After a year of thoughtful reflection and community input, El Sistema USA® is proud to share our updated membership criteria—three pillars that capture the essence of our network of over 140 member organizations across North America.
These new criteria are grounded in the values that unite our national network and support programs dedicated to expanding access, pursuing excellence, and building strong communities through music.
- 🎵 High-Quality Music Education
Committing to consistent instruction, a deep organizational investment in each student, artistic excellence, and long-term student growth. - 🌎 Equity & Access
Providing tuition-free or scholarship-based programs and amplifying community and youth voice. - 💞 Holistic Impact
Fostering community, social-emotional learning, personal development, and belonging through ensemble-based music-making.
An Evolving Movement
As the El Sistema movement in the U.S. has grown, so too has our understanding of what it means to be an El Sistema-inspired program today.
Inspired by El Sistema Venezuela—founded by Maestro José Antonio Abreu in 1975 to use music as a vehicle for community and youth development—El Sistema USA programs have always shared a commitment to social impact through music. But in the nearly 20 years since the movement took root in the U.S., we’ve adapted the model and values of the original inspiration to our context. What we’ve learned is that no two programs look exactly alike and they are all shaped by the strengths and needs of their respective communities.
Unlike Venezuela, the U.S. has a vast (though uneven) public school music education system, as well as a breadth of youth orchestras and conservatories. In the US, El Sistema-inspired programs usually operate as nonprofit community partners—filling critical gaps and serving students who face financial, geographic, or cultural barriers to access. Each program is thoughtfully designed around local needs, cultural assets, school systems, and community strengths. From city to city, these organizations are deeply place-based. The United States publicly funds in-school music education, but after school, weekend, and summer programs are largely funded by individuals and foundations, whereas El Sistema in Venezuela is fully government funded.
“From city to city, these organizations are deeply place-based.”
These local realities have naturally led to a U.S. movement that’s deeply adaptive. Our new pillars reflect that evolution. They’re designed to clearly communicate who we are now—while honoring the foundational values that brought us together.
This adaptation isn’t dilution—it’s evolution. It reflects the core El Sistema principle of centering community and meeting them where they are.
Why Criteria Matter
When El Sistema USA formed in 2014, we connected a small group of developing programs. By 2016, we recognized the need for membership criteria to articulate what united these diverse organizations and define what makes a program “El Sistema-inspired.” These standards emerged from our collective wisdom about the values and practices most critical for student impact.
Today, from those original dozen members, we represent a powerful network of over 140 organizations. Our simplified three-pillar approach better communicates who we are now while honoring the throughline that has always connected our work: expanding access, pursuing excellence, and building strong communities through music. These pillars articulate who we are today and offer a clear, inclusive framework for membership.
“These pillars articulate who we are today and offer a clear, inclusive framework for membership.”
Each pillar has subcriteria with detailed descriptions which serve as criteria for any El Sistema USA member organization. While many programs may share our values, not all will meet the full criteria tied to each pillar. That’s why we’ve introduced a new Affiliate Membership—for organizations aligned with our mission that may operate under a different model, but want to be part of our community, access resources, and join the national conversation. We also have individual memberships for people who want to join the network independently.
Join the Conversation
Whether you’re considering membership or already part of our network, we hope these pillars serve as a tool to articulate the unique, transformative work happening in communities across America.
