CARACAS: Venezuela’s National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras – known as “El Sistema” – has set a new Guinness record for the world’s largest orchestra, the country’s government said on Saturday.

A week ago more than 12,000 musicians played a classical piece together for more than five minutes as they sought to beat a Russian record that was set two years ago.

Venezuela’s Information Minister Freddy Nanez and the Russian ambassador in Caracas, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, congratulated the musicians on Saturday in an address broadcast on state television.

The broadcast included a recording of Guinness World Records expert Susana Reyes announcing that the Venezuelan musicians had been successful in setting a new record after they played La Marche Slave by Pyotr Tchaikovsky for more than five minutes.

Guinness World Records did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“El Sistema” counts some 350,000 children and youths among its rank, playing in a network of 180 orchestras.

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