VietNamNet Bridge – The concert Around The World will kick off new season of Viet Nam National Opera & Ballet (VNOB) under the baton of guest conductor Martin Garcia Leon this week at the Ha Noi Opera House.

Soprano Dao To Loan will perform at Around The World concert. — Photo vietnamnet.com

In the 90-minute show, to be performed tonight and tomorrow, the audience will enjoy cultural colours from all over the world, with extracts of operas and ballets and musical pieces, taking them on an adventure around the world.

Opening the show will be Ruslan and Lyudmila opera, Vase of Flowers from The Nutcracker and others. As well as European classics, the musicians will perform songs from hit American musical West Side Story.

A highlight of the show will be combination the orchestra and Vietnamese folk music pieces including Đi Cấy (Go To Farm), Trèo Lên Quán Dốc (Hymn To Banian) and Trống Cơm (Cylindrical Drum). 

"They are really good works in melodies," said Argentinian conductor Leon. "Vietnamese folk song and Vietnamese music is new for me. I make in my research to combine the orchestra with the folk songs with respect because the folk music has so many years of tradition and culture," he said.

This is the first time the conductor has performed in Vietnam.

In 2018, he conducted the Saint Petersburg Symphony Orchestra at the Disat Terra Music Festival organised by the Fundcacion Antiqua Nova in Choele Choel, performing the world premiere of several works by Argentinian composers. 

The show’s soloists are opera singers Dao To Loan and Vu Manh Dung. Loan won First Prize at the Singapore Lyric Opera ASEAN Vocal Competition 2018 whilst Dung took Golden Cup of Spring Festival in Pyongang in 2016.

Source: VNS