Scotland's new Culture Minister, Linda Fabiani, has expressed her enthusiasm for plans to implement a revolutionary South American music teaching scheme.

Ms Fabiani, wants to look at proposals for The System, or El Sistema, which has transformed the lives of the poorest children in the "barrios", shantytowns, of Venezuela.

Dr Richard Holloway, chairman of the Scottish Arts Council (SAC), has previously outlined his vision to operate the scheme in Scotland.

The BBC in Scotland and the SAC have already created a new trust to help bring the programme to Europe for the first time.

Ms Fabiani said: "This is the kind of exciting project that I hope to discuss with Dr Holloway as soon as possible." El Sistema, run successfully for 32 years in the Latin American country, gives children thousands of free instruments, and has established an expanding network of youth orchestras for a variety of age groups.

The project also offers scholarships and free transport for children to practice together and perform concerts. It has had spectacular results.

In a country with a population of 22 million, where 75% of people live below the poverty line, there are around 150 youth orchestras.

Dr Holloway, who will be installed chairman of the SAC's successor body, Creative Scotland, said: "I am extremely eager to meet Ms Fabiani and I am delighted she is excited about it.

"I will explain to her what is at the moment only a little more than a gleam in our eyes, and a meeting would be great in finding out her firmer intentions for the scheme."

Last week, The Herald visited a series of youth orchestras set up by El Sistema in Caracas, Venezuela, along with a group of Scottish administrators who will be responsible for bringing the scheme to a deprived area of Scotland for a pilot project.

Maggie Cunningham, head of programmes at BBC Scotland and a member of the new board of a trust set up to establish the pilot, made the trip to Venezuela along with senior staff from Stirling Council. A national director of the scheme is to be announced shortly and it is hoped the first scheme set up by the Scottish-Venezuela project will start early in 2008.

Dr Holloway believes it can help transform the lives for the most deprived and excluded children in Scotland. In Venezuela it is regarded, despite its concentration on classical music, as primarily a social project aimed at bringing the discipline of relentless learning as well as joy and a sense of achievement to children and young people.

The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (SCO) is also playing a major role in the Scottish project.

Sir Simon Rattle, the lead conductor with the SCO, has called El Sistema "the most important thing happening in music anywhere in the world". It has borne fruit with such rising stars as 24-year-old maestro Gustavo Dudamel, who performed at the Proms in London.

Jose Antonio Abreu, revered as an inspirational figure in South America, set up the system in Venezuela not only as a musical and cultural project, but also as a social project.

It currently employs around 15,000 music teachers, and includes schools for instrument-making and training in arts administration and recording technology.

Successive governments in Venezuela have backed the scheme, including the currently controversial government led by Hugo Chavez. El Sistema has led to successes such as that of Edicson Ruiz, a Venezuelan who became the youngest-ever member of the Berlin Philharmonic when he was appointed to its double bass section three years ago - at the age of 17.

It is understood that the first area of Scotland to be trialled with El Sistema is to be revealed next month. In the summer, the Simon Bolivar Orchestra from Venezuela is due to perform at the Edinburgh International Festival.