VietNamNet Bridge – The Contemporary Music Festival was initiated by Do Kien Cuong, a lecturer of the HCM City Conservatory of Music and American musician Dirk Stromberg, in 2007. The event was held in 2008 and it will return this December.


Artists performed at the Contemporary Music Festival 2007.

Cuong and Stromberg planed to turn Contemporary Music Festival into an annual event but for some reasons, the festival was halted in 2009 and 2010. The two musicians have tried their best to bring the show back at the HCM City Conservatory of Music on December 3.

The festival is a chance for Vietnamese musicians to see and exchange knowledge and experience with international colleagues as well as to introduce their music works.

This time seven Vietnamese and foreign musicians will join the festival, including Do Kien Cuong, Le Thanh Xuan, Tran Dinh Lang, Le Hong Phuc of Vietnam, Susanne Grunewald from the Netherlands, Geir Johnson from Norway and Dirk Stromberg from the USA.

The festival will include only one concert, introducing nine works of the nine musicians.

Lecturer Cuong said the Contemporary Music Festival is a playground where Cuong and his friends from many countries in the world can show off their best music works.

Cuong hoped that the event will be held annually from now on.

Linh Pham