The event marked the 15-year journey of a vocal music class founded by People’s Artist Duc Long, a space that has connected the community and nurtured love for the homeland.

This was one of the key activities organized by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) under the government’s project “Day to Honor the Vietnamese Language among Overseas Vietnamese Communities, 2023–2030,” and part of the 2025 action plan.

Nearly 60 songs were selected, studied, and performed at the gala by Duc Long and his students. The song express deep nostalgia for home and heartfelt love for the nation.

In his opening speech, Nguyen Minh Dan, head of the Rostock vocal music class, said that both the students and their teacher, Duc Long, had devoted themselves to three weeks of practice, with the final rehearsal the night before lasting past midnight. He noted that this was no easy feat for members of the Vietnamese community, many of whom work in service trades such as retail, nail salons, and hairdressing. Despite the challenges, they made every effort to pursue their passion for music and the Vietnamese language.

Music and language have become a source of spiritual strength for Vietnamese living and working abroad. More than that, they have served as a bridge for connection, reinforcing solidarity, compassion, and a deeply emotional expression of love for the homeland.

Speaking to a VOV correspondent, People’s Artist Duc Long expressed joy that his simple wish to use music to connect Vietnamese hearts in Germany has, after 15 years of dedication, yielded remarkable results. He has now taught vocal music to more than 7,000 Vietnamese, with the youngest student just 8 years old and the oldest 78. In many cases, one student would convince their entire family, spouse and children included, to join the class.

In many Vietnamese families in Germany, when mothers and grandmothers sing, the second and third generations absorb Vietnamese through heartfelt lyrics more effectively than through traditional teaching methods. Representing Magdeburg, one of the cities with a large number of students attending the gala, Nguyen Kim Dung, head of the Magdeburg vocal class, shared that after years of attending the class, she and her peers often sing at home. As a result, Vietnamese melodies fill their daily lives, and her children have become fluent in the language and deeply love Vietnamese music.

Music in general and Duc Long’s vocal classes in particular have helped build a close-knit and united Vietnamese community in many major German cities, while enhancing the reputation and standing of Vietnamese people in the host country.

Nguyen Duy Long, Chairman of the Dien Hong Association, an organization for foreigners in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern said that musical performances featuring large numbers of Vietnamese participants, many of them students from Duc Long’s classes, have made a strong impression at major cultural events for foreign communities in Germany over the years.

These performances have not only featured the richness of Vietnamese culture but also highlighted the unity and strong bonds within the Vietnamese community.

Vietnamese cultural values promoted in Germany

The Vietnamese community in Leipzig city coordinated with Leipzig Zoo to organise "Vietnam Cultural Days" from May 17-18 to celebrate the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Germany (1975 - 2025).

Concert to celebrate 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany diplomacy

VOV.VN - A special concert with the theme of "Berlin im licht" (Berlin in the light) is scheduled to take place on February 28 at the Opera House in Ho Chi Minh City to mark the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Germany diplomatic relations.