If audiences at Ho Guom Opera House can enjoy the Frozen Fire symphony concert on June 26, ballet lovers will have the opportunity to experience the renowned Russian company Eifman Ballet and its acclaimed production Eugene Onegin in October 2026.

Frozen Fire at Ho Guom Opera House

On the evening of June 26, 2026, the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra will present Frozen Fire at Ho Guom Opera House in Hanoi.

The programme explores a musical landscape shaped by contrasts between icy stillness and inner passion, where intense emotions unfold through the grand symphonic structures of late 19th-century and early 20th-century European music.

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Violin soloist Sara Dragan.

The concert brings together respected figures from the classical music world, including conductor Kalle Kuusava and violin soloist Sara Dragan.

Kuusava gained international recognition after winning the European Conductors Competition in Oslo in 2013 and the Evgeny Svetlanov Conducting Competition in Paris in 2014.

Dragan studied under Zakhar Bron, one of the world’s most influential violin pedagogues, whose former students include internationally celebrated artists such as Vadim Repin, Maxim Vengerov and David Garrett.

The programme features three major works from the symphonic repertoire.

Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia, Op. 26, is a celebrated symphonic poem infused with Finnish national spirit and epic orchestral textures.

Henryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 14, one of the most technically demanding and fiery violin concertos of the Romantic era, will be performed by Sara Dragan.

The evening concludes with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, Op. 47, a towering 20th-century masterpiece in which tragedy, tension and the yearning for freedom are expressed through powerful and haunting musical language.

The concert is organised by the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra in collaboration with the Vietnam National Music, Song and Dance Theatre, continuing efforts to bring world-class performing arts closer to Vietnamese audiences.

Eugene Onegin arrives in Vietnam

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A scene from Eugene Onegin.

Eugene Onegin will be staged from October 21-24 at Hoa Binh Theatre in Ho Chi Minh City and from October 28-31 at the Viet Xo Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi.

Eifman Ballet, one of Russia’s leading independent ballet companies, was founded in 1977 by choreographer Boris Eifman. The company is internationally recognised for its distinctive psychological ballet style and has toured in more than 40 countries.

Eugene Onegin, choreographed by Boris Eifman and inspired by the verse novel of Russian literary giant Alexander Pushkin, premiered in St. Petersburg on March 3, 2009. International critics have since praised it as one of the finest contemporary ballet productions of the 21st century.

One of the production’s defining features is its artistic setting and narrative approach. Rather than preserving the original 19th-century Russian backdrop, the ballet places its characters in a contemporary world shaped by social upheaval.

The story centres on the arrogance of youth through the character of Eugene Onegin, a cold and detached young man who rejects Tatyana’s sincere love, only to realise its true value when it is far too late.

Audiences will also experience a distinctive musical landscape through the bold fusion of Tchaikovsky’s classical compositions and modern rock music by Alexander Sitkovetsky, breaking down boundaries between classical and contemporary art forms.

The production brings together an acclaimed creative team including Zinovy Margolin (set design), Olga Shaishmelashvili, Pyotr Okunev and Anna Yakushchenko (costume design), and Gleb Filshtinsky (lighting design).

Presented under the theme Too Late For Love, organisers position Eugene Onegin as more than a ballet performance. It is envisioned as a cultural event that bridges classical artistic traditions with contemporary emotions.

The event will also introduce the Imperial Lounge, a dedicated space inspired by the elegance and atmosphere of Russian aristocratic culture.

Tinh Le - Huyen My