Sounds of Brotherhood

To return to the source of the culture of brotherhood, the World Youth Orchestra draws inspiration from the Journey of Ulysses: a journey of knowledge, filled with the sounds of the  universally recognizable language, music,  that, as Plato wrote, is 'a moral law, giving soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, charm and gaiety to life and to everything.' With this journey, the young musicians of the World Youth Orchestra can share  a sense of  what seems lost today, the deepest sense of being human: brotherhood, and once found, it can become, in their actions, a profound testimony.

The orchestra stays within the chosen territory throughout the rehearsal and musical preparation period, open to the public, collaborating with various musical and artistic institutions. This allows for connection, collaboration, and interaction with the social and cultural context of the involved locations and countries.

The artistic and musical training programs are attentive to all the needs of advanced musical and orchestral education. The project originated in 2016, building upon the experiences and international projects of the World Orchestra conducted since 2001.

SOUNDS OF BROTHERHOOD 

Sounds of Brotherhood, launched in 2016 and awarded the Medal of the President of the Italian Republic, is an international programme promoted by the World Youth Orchestra Foundation. It uses music and the arts as tools for personal development, social inclusion, cultural diplomacy, intercultural dialogue, and brotherhood.

Following successful editions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Iran, Lebanon, Morocco, and Vietnam, the project expanded to Thailand and Morocco in 2025 with the support of Fondazione CDP and LCA Law Firm, in collaboration with Italian and international partners.

2025 - THAILAND & MOROCCO

Locations: Bangkok and Phanomyong Wittaya (Thailand); Rabat (Morocco)
Duration: July 22 – November 30, 2025

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

Fondazione CDP

Italian Minister for Sport and Youth

Presidency of the Council of Ministers – Department for Youth Policies and Universal Civil Service

LCA Law Firm

Embassy of Italy in Bangkok

Italian Cultural Institute in Bangkok

Embassy of Italy in Rabat

Italian Cultural Institute in Rabat

Embassy of Switzerland in Bangkok

ACADEMIC PARTNERS

Sapienza University of Rome

Stauffer Academy of Cremona

Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing

Shanghai Conservatory of Music

Mozarteum University Salzburg

Tokyo Conservatory

Giuseppe Martucci Conservatory of Salerno

Stanislao Giacomantonio Conservatory of Music, Cosenza

LOCAL PARTNERS

Thailand

Mahidol University

Bangkok University

Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music

Chulalongkorn University

Rangsit University

Silpakorn University

Srinakharinwirot University

Assumption University

Chaipattana Foundation

Wangnoi School

Bangkok University – Department of Italian Studies

Morocco

Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication

National Higher Institute of Music and Choreographic Arts (INSMAC)

Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts and Cultural Animation (ISADAC), Rabat

SPONSORS

ENEL Green Power (Morocco)

ATG (Morocco)

FACULTY

Lecturer

Prof. Simone Caputo (Sapienza University of Rome)

Advanced Music Training Tutors

Francesco Manara – Violin (Thailand)

Simonide Braconi – String Ensemble (Morocco)

Francesco Di Rosa – Woodwinds (Morocco)

Damiano Giuranna – Conducting, Violin and Chamber Music (Thailand/Morocco)

Advanced Theatre Training Tutors

Valeria Almerighi (Thailand/Morocco)

Federico Brugnone (Thailand/Morocco)

Carolina Leporatti (Thailand)

ADVANCED MUSIC TRAINING – THAILAND

Music Training

The project offers advanced musical training led by internationally renowned Italian musicians. The programme brought together young Italian and international students alongside members of the World Youth Orchestra.

Studying with professors from leading Italian musical institutions, including La Scala Theatre Orchestra and the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, and collaborating with Italian, Thai, Moroccan, and international musicians provided participants with significant artistic, musical, and interpersonal development while introducing them to professional careers in the performing arts.

Seminars and Workshops

Conducting and Violin

Faculty:

Damiano Giuranna – Conducting

Francesco Manara – Violin

Orchestral Training and Symphony Concert

Faculty:

Damiano Giuranna

Francesco Manara

Rock Opera Workshop

Faculty:

Damiano Giuranna

Emiliano Manna

CONCERTS – THAILAND

BRING ME TO LOVE – ROCK OPERA

August 1, 2025 – 7:00 PM
Alliance Française, Bangkok

Emiliano Manna – Conductor
Damiano Giuranna – Artistic Director

Composers

Damiano Giuranna, Emiliano Manna, Nattha Chirasakmetee, Dena Euprasert, Siradanai Luengaroon, Ida Scarlato, Nagorn Tantivess, Ploypuntikun Treepromkunlakan

SOUNDS OF BROTHERHOOD

August 6, 2025 – 7:00 PM
Prince Mahidol Hall

World Youth Orchestra Thailand

Damiano Giuranna – Conductor
Francesco Manara – Violin

Programme

Ludwig van Beethoven – Violin Concerto

Antonín Dvořák – Symphony No. 9 ("From the New World")

ADVANCED THEATRE TRAINING – THAILAND

Theatre Training

The programme included theatre workshops for young actors from Italy, Thailand, and Morocco.

Continuing the Foundation's intercultural research developed over recent years, the workshops explored the expressive potential of actors through the interpretation and memorisation of poetry. The educational project sought to create a dialogue between the rich Italian poetic tradition and that of the host country while investigating expressive techniques that can be recognised as universal.

Through poetry, participants engaged in a meaningful exchange between cultures, discovering new interpretative possibilities and using literature as a means of understanding themselves, others, and the cultural roots shared across different societies.

Project Partners

Bangkok University

Silvio d'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts

Theatre Seminar

Faculty

Valeria Almerighi (Coordinator)

Federico Brugnone

Carolina Leporatti

Seminar Theme

The seminar focused on theatre as a space for collective learning and artistic research, encouraging authenticity on stage. Theatre was presented as a shared ritual that values collaboration and the daily contribution of every participant. Students' personal experiences became the basis for creative exploration, while cultural diversity was embraced as a source of inspiration. Participants worked toward a shared theatrical language capable of transcending linguistic barriers through universally recognisable forms of stage expression.

OPEN CLASS

SOUNDS OF DIALOGUES

Study of Poetry, Study of Ourselves

August 4, 2025 – 11:00 AM
Black Box Theatre – Bangkok

Students / Actors

Kusumarn Sriwat (AB), Sirada Sereerat (Proud), Tanakon Sawangduen (Kok), Pitakprai Prasertpong (Son), Arielle Arranguez (Arielle), Paphangkorn Boonmanamsin (June), Sasikan Boonkum (Polla), Thanabun Yimklum (Linda), Salisa Nuntree (Poy), Bowonlak Chaijittiprasert (Aisha), Artitaya Tumcharoenphaisan (She-Ice), Sirimon Photien (Onyx), Natpakal Srivaranant (Gustino), Patcharaporn Nontamart (Aum), Jirayu Piapha (David)

Stage Managers

Sasikarn Pinyosri (Manow), Patsakorn Kungwanlertpapha (Patsaboom), Sirikorn Kheamkokrud (AiQing), Rachata Yingpinyo (Diamond)

Teachers

Valeria Almerighi, Federico Brugnone, Carolina Leporatti

ADVANCED MUSIC TRAINING – MOROCCO

String Instruments Seminar (Violin, Viola and Cello)

Faculty

Simonide Braconi (Principal Viola, Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala, Milan)

Topics

Bow technique and tone production

Left-hand technique

Violin, viola and cello repertoire

Orchestral performance practice

Woodwind Seminar (Flute, Oboe, Clarinet and Bassoon)

Faculty

Francesco Di Rosa

Topics

Breathing technique

Legato and staccato articulation

Oboe repertoire

Orchestral performance practice

Violin Seminar

Faculty

Damiano Giuranna

Topics

Bow technique and tone production

Left-hand technique

Violin repertoire

Orchestral performance practice

CONCERT – MOROCCO

SONS DE LA FRATERNITÉ

October 20, 2025 – 7:00 PM
Auditorium – National Higher Institute of Music and Choreographic Arts (INSMAC)

Held as part of the Bicentenary of Italy–Morocco Diplomatic Relations (1825–2025)

World Youth Orchestra Morocco

Damiano Giuranna – Conductor
Simonide Braconi – Viola

Programme

Traditional Moroccan Piece
Arranged by Damiano Giuranna

Johann Nepomuk Hummel (1778–1837)
Fantasy for Viola and Strings

Simonide Braconi
Song of Silence for Viola and Strings

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550

Damiano Giuranna
Mediterranean Suite

ADVANCED THEATRE TRAINING – MOROCCO

Theatre Practice Seminar

Faculty

Valeria Almerighi (Coordinator)

Federico Brugnone

Seminar Theme

The seminar approached theatre as a place for collective learning and artistic research, encouraging authenticity on stage. Participants explored shared theatrical language through collaborative practice, transforming cultural diversity into a creative resource and demonstrating theatre's ability to communicate beyond linguistic and cultural boundaries.

OPEN CLASS

Friday, November 28, 2025 – 6:30 PM
ISADAC Theatre Lab

Student Actors

Otmane Air Kadir, Fadoua Bahloul, Souhail Benchama, Manal Bennani, Abdessamad Braimali, Yousra Dribla, Imane Jafari, Charaf Eddin-Mansori, Sara Mansour, Abderahman Senoussi, Mahdi Zriouali

Teachers

Valeria Almerighi
Federico Brugnone

UNIVERSITY COOPERATION

Thanks to the collaboration with the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Rabat, a programme of academic cooperation was developed, including two public lectures delivered by Prof. Simone Caputo (Sapienza University of Rome):

The Mediterranean as a Bridge – Artistic and Diplomatic Relations between Italy and Morocco in the Nineteenth Century

Mozart and the East – Oriental and Mediterranean Influences in Mozart's Music

October 14–15, 2025
University of Rabat – Main Auditorium

2024 - Vietnam 

Sounds of Brotherhood, launched in 2016 and awarded the Medal of the President of the Italian Republic, is an international program promoted by the World Youth Orchestra Foundation. It uses music and the arts as tools for personal development, social inclusion, cultural diplomacy, intercultural dialogue, and brotherhood.

Following successful editions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Iran, Lebanon, and Morocco, the project expanded to Vietnam in 2024 with the support of Fondazione CDP and LCA Law Firm, in collaboration with Italian and international partners.

Location: Vietnam – Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Duration: March 30 – September 30, 2024

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS

Fondazione CDP

LCA Law Firm

ACADEMIC PARTNERS

Sapienza University of Rome

Stauffer Academy of Cremona

Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing

Shanghai Conservatory of Music

Bangkok Conservatory

Mozarteum University Salzburg

Tokyo Conservatory

Cape Town Conservatory, South Africa

Royal Academy of Music, London

LOCAL PARTNERS

Embassy of Italy in Hanoi

Consulate General of Italy in Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema (HATC)

Vietnam National Academy of Music (VNAM)

Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS)

Missionaries of Charity, Binh Duong, Ho Chi Minh City

Hanoi University – Department of Italian Studies

FACULTY

Lecturer

Prof. Simone Caputo (Sapienza University of Rome)

Orchestral Training Tutors

Marco Pierobon

Luca Vignali

Stefano Delle Donne

Smatya Wathawathana

Theatre Training Tutors

Valeria Almerighi (Coordinator)

Federico Brugnone

Carolina Leporatti

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Advanced Musical Training

World Youth Orchestra (70 young musicians from 18 different nationalities) in collaboration with students of the Vietnam National Academy of Music (VNAM).

Concerts

A NIGHT OF THE ASCENDING DRAGON

Saturday, April 6, 2024 – 8:00 PM
VNAM Grand Concert Hall

World Youth Orchestra
Damiano Giuranna – Conductor
Tran Nhat Minh – Guest Conductor

Programme

Vincenzo Bellini
Overture from Norma

Đặng Hữu Phúc
Four Symphonic Pictures

Điệu Múa (Dance)

Phiên Chợ Vùng Cao (Upland Fair)

Ra ngó vào trông (Coming In and Out Waiting)

Trống cơm (Rice Drum)

Trần Mạnh Hùng
Se chỉ luồn kim
from Vietnamese Folk Song – Dân ca Quan Họ

Gioachino Rossini
Overture from The Barber of Seville

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64

Andante – Allegro con anima – Molto più tranquillo

Andante cantabile, con alcuna licenza

Valse. Allegro moderato

Finale. Andante maestoso – Allegro vivace – Meno mosso

PUCCINI OPERA GALA

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 – 8:00 PM
Hanoi Opera House

World Youth Orchestra

Damiano Giuranna – Conductor
Angela Nisi – Soprano
Vitaliy Kovalchuk – Tenor

Programme

Giacomo Puccini

Preludio Sinfonico

Arias and Duets from Madama Butterfly

Vogliatemi bene, un bene piccolino (Cio-Cio-San, Pinkerton)

Un bel dì vedremo (Cio-Cio-San)

Addio fiorito asil (Pinkerton)

Aria from Tosca

E lucevan le stelle (Mario Cavaradossi)

Duet from Il Tabarro

È ben altro il mio sogno (Giorgetta, Luigi)

Excerpts from Suor Angelica

Intermezzo (Orchestra)

Senza mamma (Suor Angelica)

Arias from Turandot

Nessun dorma (Calaf)

Tu che di gel sei cinta (Liù)

Excerpts from Le Villi

La Tregenda (Orchestra)

Torna ai felici dì (Roberto)

Aria from Gianni Schicchi

O mio babbino caro (Lauretta)

Arias and Duets from La Bohème

Che gelida manina (Rodolfo)

Sì, mi chiamano Mimì (Mimì)

O soave fanciulla (Rodolfo, Mimì)

Advanced Theatre Training

The advanced theatre training programme was led by Valeria Almerighi, Federico Brugnone, and Carolina Leporatti. Its objective was to foster an encounter between Vietnamese and Italian theatrical traditions through the expressive possibilities of theatre, including spoken word, movement, singing, and performance techniques regarded as universal forms of artistic expression.

The workshop was organized in collaboration with the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema (HATC) and involved 20 students.

Period: March 30 – April 11 and September 2–8, 2024.

2019 - Morocco

The project involved collaboration with the Fez Festival, the Italian Cultural Institute in Rabat, and the Fez Conservatory of Music. The initiative included a concert at the Fez Festival with the participation of artists like Damiano Giuranna, Lucrezia Venturiello, and Taha Alami.

2019 - Lebanon

The project collaborated with the Italian Embassy in Beirut, the Italian Cultural Institute, and the Al Bustan Festival.

2019 - Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Italian Embassy in Sarajevo, and the Sarajevo Academy of Music collaborated for this project. The initiative included two concerts: one in Mostar at the Kosaca Cultural Center and the other in Sarajevo at the Bosnian Cultural Center, featuring artists such as Damiano Giuranna, the Choir of the National Theater of Sarajevo, and artists from various cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Sabrina Cortese, Lucrezia Venturiello, Daniele Adriani, and Lorenzo Battagion.

2016 - Iran

This marks the first musical project between Italy and Iran following the lifting of sanctions and embargoes by European countries against Iran. The project involved collaboration between the Conservatorio di Musica S. Cecilia and the University La Sapienza of Rome, the Roudaki Foundation in Tehran, the Cultural Institute of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Italy, the Tehran Symphony Orchestra, and Iran’s National Orchestra. It received support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The initiative took place in both Iran and Italy with three concerts at the Vahdat Hall in Tehran and masterclasses at the Conservatorio di S. Cecilia and the University La Sapienza in Rome. Notable artists such as Nasir Heydarian, Loris Tjeknavorian, Damiano Giuranna, Fabrizio Falasca, and educators like Franco Piperno, Alessandro Verrecchia, Daniele Roccato, Emanuele Senici, Andrea Chegai, Antonio Rostagno participated. The initiative was honored with the Presidential Medal by the President of the Italian Republic.