Young Vietnamese orchestra wins over Russian audience in Moscow
VOV.VN - A 26-member young chamber orchestra from the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music has brought Vietnamese music to Moscow alongside classical works by European masters, earning warm applause from Russian and international audiences at the IV Festival of World Youth Orchestras.
The young chamber orchestra, conducted by Nguyen Phu Son, performed at Zaryadye Park in Moscow as an invited participant in the festival, held from August 21 to 23 under the patronage of the Moscow City Government and the Moscow Department of Culture.
According to People's Artist Dr. Do Quoc Hung, director of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music and head of the Vietnamese delegation, this was the first time Vietnam had taken part in a major festival of this kind for young orchestras.
Rather than presenting only established European repertoire, the Vietnamese artists also introduced works and folk melodies from their homeland, putting Vietnamese musical identity in dialogue with the international classical repertoire.
The repertoire included Rossini’s Sonata No. 1 in G Major for string orchestra, the winter concerto from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23, and Handel’s Concerto for Harp and String Orchestra.
Vietnamese music was introduced through Trở về đất mẹ (Returning to the motherland) composed by Nguyen Van Thuong for string orchestra and harp. The orchestra also performed the folk songs Đi cấy (rice seedlings) and Trống cơm (beating the drum) as a special offering to the audience.
The soloists participating in the concert included violinist Nguyen Hieu Doanh, pianist Ta Quang Vu, and harp player Nguyen Dang Bao Tram. Soprano Pham Phuong Khanh performed a medley in praise of Russia and Vietnam in both Russian and Vietnamese.
The Vietnamese musicians received sustained applause and repeated cries of “Bravo!” after their performances.
Violinist Tri Toan, a lecturer at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, said the musicians had spent nearly a month preparing for the concert, while pianist Ta Quang Vu and harpist Nguyen Dang Bao Tram also described the audience response as one of the memorable moments of the performance.
People's Artist Dr. Do Quoc Hung recalled he was particularly moved when a large number of audience members, including Vietnamese people living in Russia, came closer to the stage and cheered for the Vietnamese performers.
“That was a moment that moved us deeply,” he said.
The IV Festival of World Youth Orchestras was organised from August 21 to 23. Following their performance at Zaryadye Park, the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music’s Youth Chamber Orchestra is set to perform in Sochi on August 24 before returning to Vietnam.
The tour is also part of activities marking the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music’s upcoming 70th anniversary in November 2026.
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