First private war remnants museum opens in Hanoi

The first-ever private war remnants museum just opened in downtown Ha Noi.

The museum features thousands of war objects gathered across the country over the past 20 years by Nguyen Manh Hiep, a war veteran.

The collection, which includes bomb shells, soldiers' utilities and photos, is being displayed in a 30-sq.m yard in front of Hiep's house, No 9, lane 144/2, An Duong Vuong Road.

Young talents gather at HBSO concert

Local young music talents will play at a concert hosted by the HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) at the City Opera House at 8 p.m. on Friday.

Audiences will have a chance to admire beautiful and lively melodies of Wind quintet No. 1 in B-flat Major by Italian composer/violinist Giuseppe Maria Cambini by the performance of young talents of the HBSO Wind Quintet. Previously, the quintet took part in the Asian Orchestra Week in Tokyo, Japan in early September and had a solo concert in Natori City of Miyagi Prefecture of Japan.

A highlight of the event is sopranos Tran Hong Vy and Pham Duyen Huyen who will be performing the aria “Flower duet” which is in the musical Lakmé in 1883 by Léo Delibes. Tenor Pham Trang will play the aria “Una furtiva lagrima” in “L’elisir d’amore” musical composed by Italian musician Gaetano Donizetti in the 19th century.

Oboe talent Pham Khanh Toan will play a concerto for oboe and string instruments written by Alessandro Marcello in the 18th century.

The concert will feature other masterpieces of the Romanticism time by F. Liszt, R. Schumann and H. Wieniawski with the performances of popular violinist Tang Thanh Nam, cellist Nguyen Tan Anh, viola player Bui Anh Son, violinist Nguyen Truc Thuyen and Korean guest pianist Ju Sun Young.

Tickets are priced from VND80,000 (for students) to VND400,000.

For further information, contact Ms. Huong on 0989 874 517 or Ms. Ly on 0908 057 972 or visit the online booking website www.ticketbox.vn.

A concert by young pianists will take place for the first time at Ha Noi Opera House on Sunday, December 21.

The 16 players are the best from the CEG Piano Festival, which has been held in Ha Noi since 2012. They will perform music by Mozart, Beethoven, Puccini and Chopin.

Musicians Vu Manh Dung, Dinh Trang and Vu Ngoc Linh will accompany their students at the concert.

The CEG Piano Festival aims to discover talented pianists aged 6 to 18. Previous festival winners Duy Anh, Phuong Thy and Chu Anh won international prizes.  

Vietnam Dan Bau Art Club launched

The Vietnam Dan Bau- Vietnamese Monochord Art Club has just been established in the first Dan Bau- Vietnamese Monochord festival 2014 which was organized in Hanoi on December 14 by the Vietnam National Academy of Music and Vietnam Musicians Association.

Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music said that the festival aimed at keeping alive the traditional musical instruments and fostering a love for dan bau among people.

The Dan Bau Art Club under the Vietnam Musicians Association will promote dan bau studying and performing as well as encouraging composers across the country to write new works.

According to professor Nguyen Thuyet Phong from US-based Institute for Vietnamese Music Research, Dan bau has one unique string strung across the bamboo, tied on one end to a rod, which is perpendicularly attached to the bamboo. A coconut shell was attached to the rod, serving as a resonator.

Players have to use their pinky in the right hand to tap the string at different nodes while other fingers pluck the string using a long plectrum while the left hand adjusts the flexible rod to raise or lower the pitch besides instilling soul into the music with techniques including vibrating, sliding and harmonics.

“The melody of the dan bau is like the voice of the Vietnamese people, light but still deep. It carries the souls of the Vietnamese people through the rise and fall of history and it alleviates all the burdens and difficulties in life with hopeful beliefs”, said the Professor.

Famous singer to perform patriotic music

Anh Tho, a leading singer of the Vietnamese revolutionary music genre, will hold a concert to mark her 21-year career.

Entitled Tinh Xa Khoi (Love for Seafaring), the concert will take place at the Ha Noi Friendship Cultural Palace on January 9. She will sing her most successful songs as well as some bolero music.

Revolutionary music appeared in the 1940s, when music bolstered the patriotic spirit of soldiers and civilians. The simple words and rhythms also made these songs popular in peacetime.

Trong Tan, Ho Quang Tam and Phuong Bac, other famous singers who often perform with Tho and her teacher, guitarist Van Di, will join her at the concert.

Tho said her costumes would "surprise the audience". She plans to wear 22 designs from the ao dai (traditional long dress) collection by Lan Huong, including a VND1 billion (US$47,600) ao dai with 1,000 rubies and nine hand-embroidered cranes.

The soprano has won many prizes in national singing contests. In addition to performing, she teaches at the National Music Academy.

Tho plans to give a similar concert in HCM City after Tet.

Veteran composer releases book to celebrate birthday

Veteran composer Vinh Cat released a memoir to celebrate his 80th birthday.

Titled Chi La Ngoi Sao Khong Ten (Being Just An Unnamed Star), the 600-page book gathers articles on Cat, articles he has written, and letters from his wife and friends.

Vinh Cat is one of the leading symphony composers in Viet Nam. He has also written a number of pop songs, including Ngoi Sao Ha Noi (Ha Noi Star), Ky Niem Trai Tim (Heart Memory), Nu Hon Dau (The First Kiss) and Sa Pa – Thanh Pho Trong Suong (Sa Pa – A Misty City).

Cat joined the army and fought against the French, and later studied in the former USSR. He then served as the deputy director of Ha Noi Music Conservatory, now Ha Noi Academy of Music, from 1971 to 1983. He then directed the Ha Noi Culture and Information Department from 1984-98.

Musical about Navy to make debut

A musical on the work of the Viet Nam People's Navy will be staged next week in HCM City as part of the city's cultural activities to mark the 70th anniversary of the Viet Nam People's Army (December 22).

The 90-minute work, titled Cay Bang Vuong (Malabar Almond Tree), is being directed by Hoa Ha in co-operation with choreographer Le Viet of the HCM City Theatre, one of the region's leading State-owned art troupes, belonging to Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The city government spent VND200 million (US$9,500) on the production.

Based on a script by Tran Kim Khoi, the musical is about the lives and work of young navy soldiers.

The musical has attracted nearly 50 young theatre actors and singers, including Linh Son, Minh Quan, Ba Cuong and Tien Nam, Hong Hanh and Quoc Dai.

More than 20 skilled dancers from the Phuong Viet Dance Troupe are featured.

"We wanted to spotlight the brave soldiers' remarkable work for keeping our sea peaceful while there are still so many challenges," said Ha, who spent three months preparing the musical.

Ha said that the Navy had offered support that helped the actors perform their roles.

The highlights will be the songs Gan Lam Truong Sa (Truong Sa Is Close), Noi Dao Xa (Faraway Islands) and To Quoc Nhin Tu Bien (The Homeland-Islands), written by composers who took fact-finding tours to Truong Sa (Spratly Islands).

"I faced challenges in singing musical theatre. But I found myself in the new field. " said 22-year-old pop singer Minh Quan, who played a soldier in the work.

"Some people think our young actors do not have enough experience and vocal power to sing a musical. But we will provide them with something new in the style of music, dance and performance, instead of just our forte in pop."

Quan and his colleagues have worked with Captain Kieu Dinh Dat of the Naval Brigade 125 to perfect their acting.

"I'm very happy to help young actors. Through their work, I hope audiences will learn more about our work," said Dat.

The musical Cay Bang Vuong will be staged next Monday night at the HCM City Theatre.

Activities mark Vietnam People’s Army anniversary

A photo exhibition marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army opened at Ho Chi Minh City Youth’s Cultural House on December 14.

The exhibition features 102 pictures honoring Uncle Ho’s soldiers in training, working, patrolling, helping the people and protecting national independence.

Pictures were taken by photographers, including Tu Luong Van, Nguyen Hong Nga, Hoang Quoc Thai, Nguyen Van Khanh, Tran Thi Tuyet Mai, Ha Chi Hung, An Dung, Nguyen Xuan Cuong and others.

The display titled “Uncle Ho’s soldiers, finest people” will run until December 17.

On the occasion, a book featuring nearly 100 poems, writings, songs and paintings by 56 authors who are writers, poets, painters, musicians, journalists including Ngo Ngoc Ngu Long, Le Tu Le, Bich Ngan, Tram Huong, Pham Minh Tuan, Nguyen Ngoc Thien, Phan Hoang, Hoang Dinh Quang, Nguyen Thu Phuong, Huynh Man Chi, Ngo Hanh was released.

In addition, special art programs and meetings celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Viet Nam People's Army between war veterans have been organized in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong Province from December 13-15.

Exhibition on VN soldiers aims to educate youth

A photo exhibition depicting Vietnamese soldiers is opening at the HCM City's War Remnants Museum to mark 70 years of the Viet Nam People's Army.

Nguoi Chien Si Hom Nay (Today's Soldiers) displays 90 photos, including 30 works taken by photographers of the Soldier Photographers Club, and 40 by Colonel and photographer Doan Hoai Trung.

Most of them depict activities of the Viet Nam People's Army from 1975 in various fields, such as national defence, military training, the economy, society, culture, education and foreign affairs.

Another 20 photos document activities of Truong Sa soldiers in protecting the country.

Colonel Trung said the exhibition was a chance for local and foreign visitors to know more about the Viet Nam People's Army.

He added it also aimed to educate young Vietnamese generations about their responsibility and duty to build and protect the country.

The photos are available at 28 Vo Van Tan Street in District 3 until December 31.

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