Faculty and students of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music will get opportunities to hone their talents at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory under an agreement between the two conservatories. 

(From right) Associate Professor Ta Quang Dong, Professor Aleksander Sokolov, pianist Andrey Pisarev and violinist Elena Semyonova after a performance held to mark the signing of a co-operation agreement between the Tchaikovsky and HCM City conservatories. (Photo courtesy of HCM City Conservatory)

The agreement, signed on September 25, will foster co-operation between the two sides in education and research, information exchange and the organisation of concerts and music festivals. In doing so, it will promote cultural understanding and academic fellowship.

"The cooperation will create more favourable conditions for the HCM City Conservatory to improve its training quality," said Associate Professor Ta Quang Dong, Director of the conservatory, at the signing ceremony in HCM City. 

"It is a long time since Vietnam has signed a cooperation agreement with Russia on music development. The conservatory is the only one in Vietnam to seek opportunities and promote cooperation with other music academies in the world," he added.

Under the agreement, short-term exchange visits up to three weeks will be held for conducting master-classes and lectures and performing concerts. Student-exchange activities are also planned.

The two conservatories will undertake joint research, develop collaborative projects, organise scientific seminars, collaborate on publications; and boost exchanges for studying and developing the musical cultures of both countries. 

They will also organise concerts and music festivals, introducing musicians of both nations.

"This agreement is not the first cooperation between Vietnam and Russia," said Professor Aleksander Sokolov, Rector of the Moscow Conservatory.

"Dozens of Vietnamese students have studied at the Moscow Conservatory in the past and they have been veteran musicians making great contribution to developing music in Vietnam."

"They take good use of Russian performing arts school and bring it into play in their homeland," he added. 

Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory has 160-year history to train thousands of gifted musicians in Russia including Sergei Rachmaninoff and Alexander Scriabin. Many Vietnamese musician generations have studied in the conservatory since 1960s, like composer Do Nhuan, People’s Artist Dang Thai Son and Bui Cong Duy. 

HCM City Conservatory is one of three biggest music schools in Vietnam. It has trained many students who have gained regional and international fame. Every year, it sends students to music schools in Europe and America. 

In June, the conservatory signed cooperation agreements with Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Hungary and Bratislava Conservatory in Slovakia. 

VNA/VNS