London ( CNN ) -- Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Montero dedicated part of a London concert to those confronting the government in Venezuela , saying she felt `` our sadness , our impotence , our frustration '' . Fighting back tears , the 40-year-old virtuoso , who is a noted critic of the collectivist policies of President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chavez , improvised a piano piece which she said was her interpretation of the struggle in Venezuela of anti-government activists . `` When I improvise , people understand , people feel the pain that we feel , '' she told her audience at the Queen Elizabeth Hall of the Royal Festival Hall in London on Wednesday . The audience was mainly English but dotted with Venezuelan flags and a smattering of her compatriots in caps and T-shirts in the starred yellow , blue and red colors of the Venezuelan flag . Clearly moved by the presence of Venezuelans , she said : `` To see the Venezuelans here , to see the flags , just killed me . '' Born in Caracas to an American mother and a Venezuelan father , Montero was a child prodigy and is a star on the world concert tour . She played at the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009 and now lives in the U.S. During a break in her concert , after taking requests from the audience and improvising on them , Montero told the audience Venezuela was facing a `` very , very critical time '' . It was `` one of our great tragedies '' she said , adding that few outside the country understood what was going on in Venezuela . She referenced a high murder rate and , to applause , mourned what she called `` the loss of our country to violence , to corruption and to the worst possible things you can imagine . '' Montero has been outspoken in her support for those who have challenged the government in Venezuela and has deplored the state of the country and the crackdown on protesters . Last month she criticized another famous Venezuelan music star , conductor Gustavo Dudamel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra , and younger conductor Christian Vazquez for performing in Venezuela while the protests raged on the streets . `` They played a concert while their people were being massacred , '' she said in an open letter . Dudamel responded by saying he condemned the violence and his music represented the `` universal language of peace '' .
Pianist Gabriela Montero tells a London concert how Venezuela is being lost to violence and corruption . The Associated Press contributed to this report. Few outside Venezuela understand what is happening , Montero tells her audience .