Damiano Giuranna

Conductor, composer, he is musical artistic director of the World Youth Orchestra Foundation, a foundation participated by the Sapienza University of Rome. In 1992 he founded the NGO MusicaEuropa with which he worked on a UNESCO project thanks to the support of Ambassador Gabriele Sardo, on the immanent musical heritage of the ancient Mediterranean tradition. In 2001, with the collaboration of over 200 universities on five continents, he founded the World Youth Orchestra which became an Italian Goodwill Ambassador. In 2003 he created the project ‘World Youth Orchestra Mediterranean Tour – The Euro Mediterranean Brotherhood’, supported by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with many international partners in Israel, Palestine, Tunisia, Algeria, Turkey. From 2001 to 2008 he received the support of the European Union for the ‘International Festival of Young Musicians’ project, which took place in Italy, Greece, Estonia, Ireland and Malta. In 2005 he carried out a project for the United Nations in New York with representatives of the highest world institutions, from the Secretary General Emeritus Kofi Annan, to the President of the Commission European Union, to the Secretary General of the European Council, expressed their adhesion to the project. Between 2009 and 2010 he worked with the MAECI for the ‘Cultural Bridge’ project, which took place in Turkey and involved a European partnership of five countries. Between 2010 and 2011 he worked with the Presidency of the Council for the project supported by the Ministry of Youth ‘Musical journey between territories and nations’, which led WYO to play in seven Italian regions, Austria and Germany. From 2011 to 2015 he carried out activities with WYO in Italy, the United States and Europe. In 2016 he created the ‘Sounds of Brotherhood’ project, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Health International Cooperation, subsequently playing in Lebanon, Bosnia Herzegovina, Morocco and Bulgaria. The project obtains the Presidential Medal of the President of the Italian Republic In 2017 he signed an MOU with the Iranian government that allows the WYO Foundation to carry out a three-year project in Tehran. In 2021, together with the MAECI and the Oriental University of Naples, it forms a project for Dubai Expo 2020. In 2003, the President of the Italian Republic awarded him the Medal and the Silver Plaque offered to personalities who have distinguished themselves in social cultural activity. He was a board member of the S. Cecilia National Conservatory of Music in Rome.