A cornerstone for inspiration
All six concert nights of the "Concert of Childhood Memory 2024" series, organised by educational and performing arts organisation Intro Art in July and August 2024, sold out. The programme featured many artists from the Vietnam National Academy of Music. "The Storyteller" — a night from the Triangle Concert Series introducing prominent young musical talents from the Vietnam Young Musicians Institute (VYMI) — also sold out three days before the performance.
These are just two examples of many classical music concerts that have been sold out recently in Hanoi. After the "Storyteller" performance, 17-year-old Do Quang Minh, a violinist in the programme, shared: "Some of my friends attended a classical concert for the first time and said they were extremely satisfied and surprised. They were curious about how I practiced and wondered how an amateur violinist like me could practice and perform such difficult pieces. They also expressed a desire to learn to play an instrument, feeling inspired by the excellent performances of the artists."
In addition to efforts to organise and run professional-standard classical music concerts, there has been an increase in community-oriented music events held outdoors and on a regular schedule. Notable examples include free weekend concerts at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Capital City of Hanoi (October 10, 1954-2024)), the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum collaborated with the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra to organise an outdoor concert titled "Autumn Melodies", which piqued the interest of many young people living in Hanoi. Short video clips from the concert were widely shared on social media. Many viewers noted their surprise that they recognised familiar melodies but couldn’t remember their names, while also expressing interest in learning about future similar music performances.
Community-oriented music programmes like these not only aim to connect the audience with the arts but also serve as foundational steps for classical music to reach a broader Vietnamese audience. Phuong Vu, in charge of education at the Vietnam Young Musicians Institute, recalled: "Not everyone has the means, both geographically and financially, to go to the concert hall. So, can we create more accessible spaces for everyone? To answer that question, in 2022, our Institute organised a community concert at the North Tu Liem District Cultural Centre. That day, over 400 primary school students and adults came to listen to classical music in a familiar setting. The children even had the opportunity to draw while listening to the music..." From this real-life experience, Phuong Vu emphasised: "By opening different doors to increase access to the public, more people will listen to classical music, and the reach will be broader. From there, we also open up a future with more audiences, more artists, and more sources of inspiration everywhere."
The challenge for artists
In addition to efforts to train and create opportunities for the development of young musical talents, nurturing and maintaining connections with young audiences is also an extremely important goal. A generation of young, dynamic and eager-to-learn audiences, who are ready to pay for cultural and artistic activities to enrich their life experience and knowledge, has emerged. This is one of the factors that make it easier for social organisations and individuals to bring classical music closer to audiences.
According to cellist Phan Do Phuc, conductor of the Vietnam Youth Symphony Orchestra (VYO), artists must seize the opportunity to show that they are doing something which is valuable and attractive to young people. When talking about classical music, many people still hold the "prejudice" that it is an abstract and hard-to-understand art form, which is somewhat outdated and lacks in contemporary relevance. Therefore, Phuc believes that a challenge for artists and those working in the arts is how to demonstrate the modernity of classical music and how to prove the benefits that classical music brings.
The journeys of bringing classical music closer to the public are stories that carry powerful inspiration for both young people and the arts.
