The Los Angeles Times has an interview with Los Angeles Philharmonic Music Director Gustavo Dudamel in which he responds to critics over his continued work in his native country of Venezuela. Dudamel has served as the artistic director of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela since 1999, despite the U.S.'s rocky relationship with the country. According to the Times, fellow artists have tried to enlist him in opposition to the Venezuela's government, but he remains optimistic and continues his work with the youth orchestra.
Dudamel told the Times:
"You have to see where these children are coming from. They have different religions. They are all touched by the economic situation because it touches everybody. But the son of an opposition leader and the daughter of a government minister sit in the same orchestra.
"And they keep playing!"
Read the interview here.