In 2003 and in 2004, the World Youth Orchestra performed in Israel during the Intifada, in the Palestinian territories, in Giordania… it crossed the hottest checkpoints: King Hussein Bridge and the Abdala Bridge.
It was present in Tunisia in 2006, then in Algeris, Algeria in 2007,in the year of Arabic Culture, as the only Western project. It has brought its testimony of brotherhood to Jerusalem, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, in the Kibbutz of Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Salam, to Amman, in the Kasbah of Algeris.
The World Youth Orchatra does not close itself out but does its very best to grow artistically. It makes every effort to dialogue in these territories with other youngsters, people and students from many schools.
In Italy, the Middle East, Maghreb, Europe and USA the World Youth Orchestra has hosted musical workshops, exchanges and interventions in schools where regional projects are created, even in those realities that are distant from the art world. It starts at the bottom and constantly works its way up in order to see cultural growth. A job that is humble and apparently far from musical success, but on the other hand it constantly enhances the young musicians of the World Youth Orchestra and the territories in which it is put into effect.
In these first years several successful artistic achievements have been made: at The Festival of Taormina Art; at the concerts in Rome at Piazza del Campidoglio and at the National Academy of S. Cecilia; during tours in various European countries; in Turkey; in USA.
Due to its political-institutional achievements, the World Youth Orchestra has been nominated Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF Italia; it has been awarded a Silver Medal and a Silver Plaque for cultural and social merits by the President of the Italian Republic. It has received an invitation to perform at the Headquarters of the UN in New York from the Representative of Italy to the United Nations and from the Secretary General to UNICEF and representatives of pre-eminent world institutions have supported the project including the former Secretary General to the United Nations, Kofi Annan, the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, the President of the European Commission and the heads of European and Italian institutions.
The young musicians of the five continents have not only seen first-hand war, hatred, poverty and major social difficulties, but also the beauty and emotions of priceless humanity and brotherhood. They have cried, laughed, gathered vital experiences for their future growth and have become eye witnesses of an artistic and social process, of an era, of history.
Success likewise grows for those young artists representing the World Youth Orchestra. Many of them have been awarded with prestigious positions in important orchestras including: Berliner Philarmoniker, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra dell’Accademia di S. Cecilia, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Das Luzerner Sinfonieorchester.
But, among all these achievements, the most important results that keep together the World Youth Orchestra are the hundreds of thousands friendships, fraternal contacts, enthusiasm, shared joy, warmth and dedication.
For this reason, the Orchestra wants to continue to pursue the path it has undertaken, the one that has brought success, artistic research, professional and individual growth, always keeping in mind its final and most ambitious goal: the artistic brotherhood.
