WYO- World Youth Orchestra

Our Projects

The Sounds of Brotherhood project represents a global collaboration, uniting young musicians from all around the world. Its core objectives revolve around making a significant impact in nurturing brotherhood through the power of music, leveraging the joy and social potential of young musicians. Additionally, the project seeks to offer musicians a renewed approach to high-quality music education while instilling fresh ideas and fostering hope related to brotherhood among all participants in each country.

The performance weaves together narrative and poetic texts in both Italian and Arabic, accompanied by music from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions. It tells a tale from One Thousand and One Nights, interspersed with Italian Renaissance poems and melodies, verses from medieval Arabic literature, and music from the ancient Maghreb and Arab-Andalusian traditions.

The narrative, delivered in a blend of Italian and Arabic, immediately delves into timeless themes found in ancient human poetry, rooted in a shared wisdom across civilizations. Betrayal, knowledge, freedom, beauty, brotherhood, and love form the foundation upon which the delicate yet profound story of The Two Moons rests, inviting the ear, heart, and intellect to reconnect with the roots of civilizations and their profound love.

At the core of the performance is the female figure of Shahrazād, an archetypal and universal emblem of feminine intelligence and wisdom. She perfectly represents two faces of the same reality: Western and Eastern cultures, using the powerful tool of art as a unique message of fraternity, love, and beauty.

The Suoni per Roma project aims to reach the city with arts, making neighborhoods vibrant and inclusive. It's like reimagining the "polis" as more than just a place but a creative hub, fighting inequality and promoting active citizenship. All events blend music, theatre, workshops as well as live performances and street parades in various places, engaging diverse audiences. The project is all about the city's role in our lives.

The musical initiative Sacred Sounds brings together a dynamic group of young musicians who are passionate about delving into the rich and ancient traditions of classical and traditional music from various parts of the world. They are on a captivating journey to unearth the timeless melodies, rhythms, and sounds that have been passed down through generations, preserving the cultural heritage of these music traditions.

The ensemble is dedicated to both honoring the historical significance of these musical genres and infusing them with fresh interpretations and contemporary elements. By blending the old with the new, Sacred Sounds aims to create a bridge between the past and the present, breathing new life into these time-honored compositions while maintaining their authenticity and cultural essence. Through their performances, they invite audiences on an enlightening musical voyage that transcends borders and connects people through the universal language of music.

WYO4CHILDREN

The Wyo4children project aims to offer musical experiences to children from difficult backgrounds. Previous musical knowledge is not a prerequisite, since the primary objective is to help their individual and social growth through an activity such as music, an art that can work deep within the human being. Examples of these activities include instrument lessons, the formation of a community choir and introductory music lessons, along with interactive games.

Young musicians and artists are responsible for conducting weekly lessons for both individuals and groups in designated contexts. They collaborate with local NGOs, organizations, and associations to ensure the program's effectiveness in supporting these children.

PARTICIPATORY METHOD OF MUSICAL PERFORMANCE

Nowadays, musical performers, i.e. those who have to recreate an artistic work based on fixed sheet music, are challenged to convince a demanding public that this art can become an integral part of the human experience. For this reason, musical performers are mainly accountable to the artistic work to recreate the work from scratch every time and during every performance, thus giving it back the ability to penetrate into the sensorial, mental and spiritual experience of the listener.

For the artistic act to be always alive, performers should first of all widen their knowledge not only from a formal and technical point of view, but also by carrying out an accurate musical and artistic research, which explores all the possible cultural, social, philosophical and spiritual connections that lie behind the musical creation. Secondly, artists/performers need to enhance their perceptual ability and to improve their listening skills to better understand the musical act. In this way, they can keep a completely objective approach towards the observed work. This deep observation can lead to the creation of a real image in the performers’ memory, which can be retrieved and reprocessed through imagination during the creative phase of their work. During the following step, performers will have to manage to make the work of art live again without dominating it with their personality and, at the same time, without being possessed by it, thus finding a good balance so that the performance can be a real artistic creation. Thanks to these new processes, artists/performers can more and more develop their creative skills and let go of stereotypical, conventional and mechanical forms so that the musical work of art can live again and regain its communicative power.

The Participatory method of musical performance aims to give a small contribution to a necessary path intended to innovate the music performance practice through a project that is based on a participatory collaboration between all the musicians/performers. They will share with more freedom and more responsibility, their talent, ideas and individual work of artistic research with the aim of giving back to the interpretative act an extremely creative power, which is nowadays often lacking.

The Participatory method of musical performance is based on a new form of participatory collaboration between all the musicians taking part in a musical performance and on the balance between the assigned responsibility and the cognitive and expressive freedom of every performer. The absolute foundation of this path is represented by individual training, learning, artistic and cultural research, which is necessary to reach a higher awareness and knowledge of the musical essence. Being open to the ideas and the proposals of all the people taking part in the re-creation of the musical work is another essential aspect that should be present during the group work.

Methodological tools:
The study and personal research in the fields of musicology, history, sociology and philosophy is the essential basis to start the process. Listening to others free from preconceptions is an essential term. Every personal contribution to the work must have a character of concreteness and is organized into three phases:
First Phase – Study, research and sharing
Second Phase – Core rehearsal
Third Phase – Tutti rehearsal

Mission

Core Values

The World Youth Orchestra was established on September 15, 2001, as an instrument of cultural diplomacy and peacekeeping, affirming faith in universal values such as peace, brotherhood, equal rights and human dignity and bearing witness to these ideals in the actions of each project.

Creation of Values

The World Youth Orchestra project is a workshop of human artistic and social experiences, where a unique effort on integration, founded on mutual understanding is carried out. Music, as a spiritual and universal language, serves as the primary bond that unites young people coming from both wealthy and disadvantaged countries.

Education, Experience and Exchange of Knowledge

To invest in knowledge, research, and professional education is one of the priorities of each institution with ambitions for growth and development. The World Youth Orchestra includes among its priorities the quality of the education offered within a broader framework of shared and dynamic exchanges of knowledge and experiences across different cultural environments.

Guests and Tutors

We had the unique opportunity to witness some legendary performers sharing their wisdom and artistry with the next generation of musicians.

Partners

Since 2001 the World Youth Orchestra has been supported and sponsored by the generous contributions of our partners and institutions. Their commitment to our mission and the development of young musical talents has been relevant in making our projects becoming reality.

Institutions

United Nations
Unicef
Unhcr
Fao
Efad
Wfp
European Union
European Parliament Presidency
Council of Europe
European Commission

Embassies and Cultural Institutions

Algeria
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Arts British Council
China
Colombia
Czech Cultural Institute

Universities and Academies

Berkeley College of Music
Boston Conservatory
Conservatoire de Musique de Genève
Conservatory of Krakow
Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
Conservatory of Copenhagen
Conservatory of Oslo
Conservatory of Belgrade
Conservatory of Vilnius
Conservatory of Warsaw

NGOS

MusicaEuropa
Friends of Fez Orphans
SOS Children’s Villages international
Starfish Foundation

Institutions

United Nations
Unicef
Unhcr
Fao
Efad
Wfp
European Union
European Parliament Presidency
Council of Europe
European Commission

Embassies and
Cultural Institutions

Algeria
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Arts British Council
China
Colombia
Czech Cultural Institute

Universities and Academies

Berkeley College of Music
Boston Conservatory
Conservatoire de Musique de Genève
Conservatory of Krakow
Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles
Conservatory of Copenhagen
Conservatory of Oslo
Conservatory of Belgrade
Conservatory of Vilnius
Conservatory of Warsaw

NGOs

MusicaEuropa
Friends of Fez Orphans
SOS Children’s Villages international
Starfish Foundation

Press

These glowing reviews underscore the exceptional quality and significance of our performances and projects, validating the hard work and passion that our young artists put into their craft.