Description: Ragazzi del '99 unites music—that of the Ljubljana International Orchestra and Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra—with the words of the Friulian writer Angelo Floramo.
The episode of the Ragazzi del '99 is one of the most moving of the First World War. In 1917, Italy, facing the growing number of casualties and the constant pressure of the Austro-Hungarian army, had to enlist more soldiers. The only option was to call up the boys born in 1899 who would turn 18 between 1917 and 1918. The Italian army trained and prepared these boys to fight upon reaching eighteen years of age. It is estimated that approximately 300,000 of these boys provided a decisive contribution on the Italian front in 1918. Tens of thousands were killed in combat. This was the generation that went straight from childhood to the trenches in one of the most devastating wars in human history. Millions were wounded or ill. Hundreds of thousands were taken prisoner, and much of the battle took place on the Friulian and Slovenian fronts. In a festival dedicated to the Millennials, the youngsters born a century later commemorate the young heroes of that time.
The Ljubljana International Orchestra, composed mostly of young musicians from various Central European countries, including Italy, Slovenia, and Austria, is conducted by Živa Ploj Peršuh, known for her strong and at the same time sublime interpretations of both classical and contemporary music pieces.
