This was the first time a large musical group from Vietnam, including more than 70 students from the Vietnam National Conservatoire, attended the Beethoven Festival at the invitation of the German communications group Deutsche Welle.

Under the baton of French conductor Claire Levacher, the young Vietnamese musicians performed parts of Beethoven’s Symphony No.7, and musical works from Vietnam, bringing the audience a better understanding of the culture, land and people of Vietnam.

Addressing the performance, Vietnamese ambassador to Germany Do Hoa Binh said the event was part of a cultural exchange programme towards next year’s 35th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The annual Beethoven festival attracted well-known orchestras from China, Georgia, Turkey, Poland, Ukraine, South Africa, Egypt and Russia.