SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- If you live in LA, you know one of the hottest tickets around is the October 3 debut performance of Gustavo Dudamel as the new conductor of the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. Not surprisingly, many people came away empty handed when the Hollywood Bowl held a free ticket giveaway, so Ovation TV is offering a chance for Dudamel fans to get their fix. Starting Sunday, September 27, the only channel dedicated to art and contemporary culture will feature a week of documentaries and performances featuring the young maestro at his very best. Here are some highlights:

• El Sistema: Music for a Brighter Future - US TV Premiere. Sunday, September 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. El Sistema is a publicly financed music-education program in Venezuela and this documentary film shows the gripping way "the system" functions on a daily basis in one of the most dangerous and poorest areas in Caracas. Gustavo Dudamel is interviewed as he participated and benefited from the program.
• Waldbuhne 2008: Rhythms of the Night - Tuesday, September 29, 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The Waldbuhne outdoor amphitheater in Berlin is the setting of Gustavo Dudamel's debut with the Berlin Philharmonic. In this concert, he leads the orchestra in the Latin rhythms of his homeland.
• Mambo! Gustavo Dudamel Live from Caracas - US Premiere. Wednesday, September 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. This incredible performance featuring Gustavo Dudamel conducting the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra was filmed on New Year's Eve in 2007 before a live and enthusiastic audience in Caracas, Venezuela. The orchestra performs compositions by Silvestre Revueltas, Arturo Marquez, Perez Prado, Antonio Estevez, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Astor Piazzolla and Pradelio Hernandez.
• Gustavo Dudamel and the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra - Wednesday, September 30 at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT. For several years now, Gustavo Dudamel and the young musicians of the Venezuelan youth orchestra "Simon Bolivar" have been causing a furor on the international music scene. This orchestra has earned the Venezuelan orchestra system respect around the world with their vision of combining social work and classical music. Here, Gustavo Dudamel conducts the world-renowned Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela at the 2007 Lucerne Festival in Switzerland.
  

All of these films will be featured all day Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4 as well. In Los Angeles, Ovation TV is available on Time Warner Cable channel 175, as well as on DIRECTV channel 274 and DISH Network channel 157.

About Ovation TV

Ovation TV is the only multi-platform network devoted to art and contemporary culture. The network creates and curates one-of-a-kind programming about all the art people enjoy most, from the popular to the avant-garde and everything in between. The channel reaches a national audience of 33 million households through carriage on DirecTV (channel 274), Dish Network (channel 157) and on cable and telco systems in major markets across the country. Ovation TV's programming is also available on video on demand (in both standard and high definition) in the US. Ovation TV's popular website (http://www.OvationTV.com) is a dynamic experience, featuring information about local and national happenings in the art world, as well as a vibrant community of artists who have uploaded over 80,000 pieces of original art.

SOURCE Ovation TV