The Herb Alpert Foundation has named conductor Gustavo Dudamel as the inaugural recipient of The Herb Alpert Honor, a new $1 million unrestricted grant recognizing an individual whose work has driven meaningful social change through music.

The award, announced today, goes jointly to Dudamel and his Dudamel Foundation, which he co-chairs with actress María Valverde. The foundation focuses on music education and youth empowerment, with particular roots in the El Sistema model of providing free music instruction to underserved communities.

“This Honor recognizes the profound power of music to shape lives, foster connection, and drive positive social change,” said Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation, per an official press release. “This grant is intended to support his foundation’s continued work to uplift and transform lives.”

In response, Dudamel said, “Herb Alpert is a legendary artist and the absolute embodiment of generosity. The Herb Alpert Foundation’s monumental work shaping the future of the arts by expanding access to music education has already created lasting impact for generations to come. I am deeply humbled by this extraordinary gift, and we pledge to dedicate these funds to advancing the mission of the Dudamel Foundation. We believe that access to beauty is a fundamental human right, and this generous contribution will enable us to continue connecting young people through art and empowering them to build a better world, together.” 

The Herb Alpert Honor was founded by Lani and Herb Alpert, whose foundation has distributed more than $250 million in grants over four decades in support of arts and arts education. The new annual award is designed to recognize exceptional artistic achievement alongside a demonstrated commitment to humanitarian impact.

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