Designated the Bronwyn and Jeffrey Lamont Longy Fund Scholar, Abimael began his musical studies in El Sistema, the community-based music program that began in Venezuela and has since inspired programs all over the world. In Venezuela, Abimael received a Bachelor of Music in violin performance from the National Experimental University of the Arts and a Doctorate in Educational Sciences from the Bicentennial University of Aragua. Abimael went on to receive his Master’s in Music Education from Bard College’s Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and comes to Homer OPUS after teaching in an afterschool music program in Boston public schools. Abimael continues his studies in orchestral conducting with maestro Eduardo Portal at Passion for Conducting Academy and continues to support young musicians in his home country by working with the Foundation for the Promotion and Development of the Arts in Venezuela.