The Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela propelled Gustavo Dudamel to rock star status when they toured the US a couple years ago. You could not check Facebook without catching a YouTube clip of the musicians -- kids -- pulling out Venezuelan colored outfits from under their dress attire and dancing to Bernstein's Mambo. Dudamel, now 31, has since then led most of the world's leading orchestras (not the SF Symphony yet, even though he has conducted the LA Phil at Davies hall) and landed a sweet gig as music director of the LA Philharmonic that comes with a million dollar paycheck and has him signed through 2019.

They came back Thursday night to Berkeley, for a short residency hosted by Cal Performances which included another concert last night, and some educational events: a Dudamel master class with the UC Berkeley orchestra, a round table discussion on music education, a concert for schools. The orchestra has replaced the "youth" from its name with "symphony," as it now intends to impress us on purely musical grounds, no matter how fresh the faces producing the music. They are still the highest step in El Sistema, an orchestral academic program which takes young kids off the street in Venezuela and provide them with a music education. And more: work ethics, and a purpose in life.