Concerts to celebrate Austrian National Day

Two concerts to mark Austrian National Day and the 40th anniversary of Vietnam-Austria diplomatic ties will be performed in Hanoi on October 26 and HCM City on October 28.

The Austrian Acies Quartet and the Vietnamese Song Hong Quintet are the featured artists at the event.

The Acies Quartet will perform String Quartet Op.74 No.3 “The Rider” by Joseph Haydn and String Quartet in F sharp minor by Friedrich Gulda while the Song Hong Quintet will perform “Mua Mua” (the rainy season) by contemporary Vietnamese composer, Vu Nhat Tan.

The two groups will also join together to play Mendelssohn’s Octet Op.20 in Es-Major.

 The Acies Quartet was established in September 2000 by four students from the Carinthian Music Academy, while the members of Song Hong Quintet, who trained at the Vietnam National Academy of Music and abroad, have been playing together for three years.

Education needed to preserve traditional music

Preserving traditional music should start from education, said participants in a symposium on the effects of traditional music to human life today, which was held in Hanoi on October 23.

They confirmed traditional music as an indispensable part of Vietnam’s culture.

However, it is losing its identity on account of strange genres of music and.

Even young children today love foreign music because there are no interesting songs of traditional colour, said composer Pham Tuyen.

Other researchers said traditional art performances should be held on a regular basis in the framework of a strategic investment plan to preserve and develop traditional music.

Prof Hoang Chuong emphasized the need to teach traditional music in both family and school.

“Without such education it will disappear sooner or later, he added.

French artists support Vietnamese orphans

A charity concert for Vietnamese orphans was held for the first time by the Meandres Humanitarian Association in Bussy-Saint-Georges, France on October 21.

Audiences were entertained with pieces of piano and opera music performed by Sebastien Ory, Jean-Phillipe Busquet and Janie Noele Helies.

Meandres Secretary General Catherine Cocoual-Labaune said since the association was established in 2007, Chairman Phan Son and other members have organized many activities to provide humanitarian support for Vietnam.

Opera vocalist Ory said he was deeply moved when singing at the concert, especially when he learnt that it could help many disadvantaged children.

Jean-Marie Dang, a French citizen whose husband is Vietnamese, said she is actively involved in humanitarian activities to help Agent Orange children and their families in Vietnam.

A photo exhibition on the association’s activities and the daily life of people in different parts of Vietnam, was also held on this occasion.

If the concert is successful, similar events will take place in some other cities in France.

Cambodian art troupe to perform in Vietnam

A 34-member Cambodian art troupe will entertain audiences with traditional songs and dances at the 2012 Cambodian Culture Week in Vietnam from October 25-31.

This year’s culture week will be held in both Hanoi and the south central province of Tra Vinh to better serve local Khmer people and boost traditional cultural exchanges between the two nations.

The event, held jointly by the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

ASEAN women’s cultural exchange in Malaysia

The Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia hosted a cultural exchange in Kuala Lumpur on October 22 to boost ties among women associations from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.

Vietnamese Minister Counsellor to Malaysia Le Thi Hoang Cuc said the event also aims to enhance ties between ASEAN nations’ embassies in Kuala Lumpur as well as to promote ASEAN countries and their culture.

Hoang Thi Quynh Luu, Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Nguyen Hong Thao’s wife, reviewed recent activities of the Vietnamese Women’s Association in Kuala Lumpur and contributions made by the association to the ASEAN Women Association’s common activities.

She expressed hopes that the exchange programme will help further strengthen understanding and solidarity among ASEAN nations’ people in general and women in particular, contributing to building a peaceful, stable and prosperous ASEAN Community.

During the event, participants visited an exhibition of Vietnam’s contemporary art, which highlights the daily life and spirit of Vietnamese women.

Chinese cultural week shines in Hue

A week of Chinese culture is currently taking place in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

The cultural event from October 19-25 is being held by the College of Foreign Languages at Hue University, in cooperation with the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam and the Vietnam-China Friendship Association in Hue City.

During the week, many activities, including a photo exhibition on China, its people and countryside, lectures on Vietnamese and Chinese cultures and a program of music and dance will take place.

The event’s highlight was an eloquent contest in Chinese for competitors from the central area, which was hosted by Hue University on October 20.

Students from Hue’s College of Foreign Languages won first and third prizes at the contest and Danang University’s College of Foreign Languages was awarded second prize.

Exhibition features cultural and natural heritage in Viet Nam

One hundred photos featuring the beautiful landscapes of Viet Nam and the lively daily life of its inhabitants are on display in Phan Thiet City.

The photos were chosen from 2,890 images submitted to the Viet Nam Heritage Photo Awards 2012. The contest, organised by Viet Nam Heritage and HCMC's Cultural Heritage Association, drew the participation of 190 amateur and professional photographers nationwide and 8 foreign photographers. It aims to encourage Vietnamese people to preserve their heritage, both cultural and natural.

The exhibition will run until October 31 in Phan Thiet City. After Phan Thiet, the photos will be displayed in six other cities: Nha Trang, Hoi An, Ha Long, Can Tho, Ha Noi and HCM City. The event marks the Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Day on November 23.

The awards ceremony will be held on November 22 in HCM City.

VNN/VOV/VNS