Arts festival honours outstanding Vietnamese and international artists

The ‘Autumn Melodies 2015’ arts festival, introducing audiences with the essence of world academic music and the most prominent pieces by Vietnamese composers, officially opened at the Ho Chi Minh City Theatre on August 25.

A performance by the symphony orchestra and the choir from the HBSO on the opening night of the festival (Credit: thethaovanhoa.vn)
A performance by the symphony orchestra and the choir from the HBSO on the opening night of the festival (Credit: thethaovanhoa.vn)

The six-day event is to consist of 11 unique activities including concerts at the City’s theatre, outdoor performances, art exchanges and seminars on a range of different academic arts, including professional symphony, chamber music, opera, piano solo, ballet and contemporary dance.

This year’s festival features 100 artists from the symphony orchestra, the dance group and choir from the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO), along with famous violinist Bui Cong Duy and 20 talented artists from the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Notably, the event also features performances from the Fantasmi Baroque Ensemble of the United States (13 artists) and the Royal Norwegian Navy Band (12 artists) as well as outstanding artists from the Netherlands, Estonia, Poland and Taiwan (China).

During the opening night of the festival, Vietnamese audiences had a chance to enjoy songs praising the land and people of Vietnam, along with well-known world symphonic pieces.

Two new contemporary dances, ‘The roof’ by choreographer Bui Ngoc Quan and ‘Vong phu bien’ (Waiting for my husband on the shore) by Nguyen Phuc Hung and Nguyen Phuc Hai, also took to the stage.

This is the first time the ‘Autumn Melodies’ festival has gathered the largest number of leading artists and musicians from both Vietnam and abroad, promising to grace academic music lovers with numerous outstanding performances.

Since its debut in 2005, the biennial event has become an important and special arts programme in the cultural life of Ho Chi Minh City, meeting the entertainment demands of Vietnamese and foreign music lovers.