A concert featuring contemporary and folk music of Vietnam will be held at the French cultural center L’Espace in Hanoi on December 1, starting at 8 p.m.

Some traditional musical instruments that will be played in the “Old is new, new is old” concert - Photo: Courtesy of the organizer

In the “Old is new, new is old” concert, the Hanoi New Music Ensemble and music troupe Dong Kinh Co Nhac will perform music pieces by Vietnamese-French contemporary classical music composer Nguyen Thien Dao and some Vietnamese folk musicians.

The pieces include Khoi Truong Chi for monochord (2014) and Khoi Song for 16-string zither (2005) by Nguyen Thien Dao, Ancient music – Zen poem – Buddhist music, Nguyet Hao (ancient tuong), and Ru Ke (ancient cheo).

Two guest artists are monochord artist Ngo Tra My and 16-string zither artist Pham Tra My.

Nguyen Thien Dao was born in Hanoi in 1940 and moved to France in 1953, where he entered the National Superior Conservatory of Paris for Music and Dance. A member of the presidium of the Vietnamese People Association in France, the late composer helped introduce the Vietnamese spirit to French art lovers through music.

Founded in 2015, the Hanoi New Music Ensemble is the first professional contemporary music ensemble in Vietnam. Its mission is to present the finest Vietnamese new music to local and international audiences. The ensemble also performs rarely heard works by older Vietnamese composers and enjoys collaborations with other ensembles and organizations.

Meanwhile, Dong Kinh Co Nhac is a Vietnamese folk music group. Through unique music performances, the group expects to communicate the core values of Hanoi's history and culture to both foreign and Vietnamese audiences.

Tickets to the concert range from VND100,000 to VND210,000 and can be purchased at L’Espace, 24 Trang Tien Street, Hanoi.

Saigon Times