VietNamNet Bridge – 22-year-old pianist Mona Asuka Ott will be the main character of 17th "Hennessy Concert" at the Hanoi Opera House on June 12.

Mona Asuka Ott was born in 1991 in Munich, Germany and is considered one of the world’s most outstanding young pianists at present. She is also the youngest artist who is invited to perform in the Hennessy Concert Series in Vietnam.

Mona Asuka Ott will play the Sonata No. 12, op. 26, in flat major in the group of 32 sonatas for piano by Beethoven, the Nocturne in C sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 1 and the Nocturne in D major, Op. 27 No. 2 by Chopin. Other works performed by Mona Asuka Ott will also include "Venezia e Napoli" (Venice and Naples) by Liszt and of the Four Improvisations, D899 by Schubert.

As usual, the program will take place for only one night, so the concert will be streamed live via a 500inch screen at the August Revolution Square in front of the Opera House to serve classical music lovers who do not have seats in the theatre.

Mona Asuka Ott’s talent was showed off at an early age. When she was four years old, Mona was the guest performer in a music competition of Munich. At the age of 11 she appeared on TV as a duet with late conductor Marcello Viotti and the Munich Radio Symphony Orchestra, playing Ma mère l'oy by Ravel.

Mona’s solo show at the Ruhr Piano Festival in 2008 was applauded by the audience. Mona performed for the first time with an orchestra when she was 13 years old, at the "Junge Meister" International Piano Festival in Lindau. After this debut, she quickly received invitations to perform with many orchestras. She also performed solo at many prestigious music festivals.

Mona Asuka Ott has won numerous first prizes in national and international competitions, such as Grotrian Steinweg Competition, music competition for young talents of Germany, and the 4th international piano competition of the International Piano Trainers’ Association (EPTA) held in Osijek, Croatia.

In 2006, Mona received the award voted by the audience at the Olympics Piano Bad Kissingen Competition and in February 2011, she received the awards for artistic achievement of the Sommets Musicaux Music Festival in Gstaad.

Hoang Vy