In 2023, Vietnam and France celebrated their 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties (April 12, 1973-2023) and 10 years of strategic partnership (2013 – 2023) with a wide range of activities.
Prominent among them was the launch of the joint website featuring archive photos from the French School of Asian Studies (EFEO) and the Institute of Social Sciences Information at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences.
Launched on February 15, the website is available in Vietnamese, French, and English at https://collection.efeo.fr/ws/issi/app/report/index.html.
 |
The project gathers nearly 70,000 photos taken in Vietnam and many other Asian countries between the early 20th century and the 1980 |
It has gathered nearly 70,000 photos, including 57,000 from the Institute of Social Sciences Information and over 10,000 others from the EFEO. The photos were taken in Vietnam and many other Asian countries between the early 20th century and the 1980s.
Also in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-France diplomatic relations, a musical performance themed “The Little Prince” took place at the Hanoi Opera House in June.
The event, jointly organised by the Hanoi Opera House in collaboration with the French Embassy and the French Institute in Vietnam, was held in combination with illustrations by artist Joann Sfar.
 |
At the musical performance 'The Little Prince' (Photo: icd.gov.vn) |
This is also the first time the famous work has been shown in the form of a musical combined with visual arts in Vietnam.
The Vietnam Symphony Orchestra will perform under the direction of conductor Marc-Oliver Dupin, along with the participation of artist Hua Thanh Tu.
"The Little Prince" or "Le Petit Princedo" was written and illustrated by Antoine de Saint Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the US in 1943. The year 2023 marked the 80th anniversary of the birth of the story.
The year 2023 also marked the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Italy diplomatic relations. A concert themed 'Valentine Concert - From Italy with Love' was organised at the Hanoi Opera House from February 11 to 12 to observe the occasion.
The concert, staged by the Saigon Philharmonic Orchestra and Vietnam Opera Ballet Orchestra, combined Italian classical music and jazz with a tribute to the great Italian composer Ennio Morricone (1928-2020).
Under the baton of Fan Ting, a legendary violinist hailing from Hong Kong (China), Italian artists Enzo Favata (saxophonist) and Pasquale Mirra (vibraphonist) shared the stage with their Vietnamese colleagues, including Nguyen Bao Long (saxophonist), Dao To Loan (soprano singer), Nguyen Anh Vu (tenor), and Thanh Ha (violinist).
In addition to the concert, the Italian Embassy in Vietnam hosted the Italian Summer Festival, the Italian Cusine Week, the Italian Film Festival, and numerous activities in Hanoi other big cities.
Prominent among them was the musical performance ‘Phuong Linh’ at the Youth Theatre in Hanoi in December. The event gathered together Vietnamese violinist Trinh Minh Hien, celebrated Italian pianist Maurizio Mastrini, and Vietnamese singer Doan Thanh Lam, who brought performances and interpretations of famous Italian and Vietnamese songs to the stage.
Last year, the ‘Princess Anio’ joint-opera project was launched to observe the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam.
 |
The ‘Princess Anio’ joint-opera project was launched to observe the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Vietnam. (Photo: baoquocte.vn) |
The opera is based on a real story of the love between Japanese merchant Araki Sotaro and Princess Ngoc Hoa [called Princess Anio by Japanese] in Hoi An, Vietnam, during the trading era of the Shuinsen in the early 17th century.
During the Nguyen Dynasty, Princess Ngoc Hoa was the daughter of Lord Nguyen Phuc Nguyen, who reigned from 1613 to 1635.
Conductor Honna Tetsuji is the general director for the project, while Tran Manh Hung is the composer. Oyama Daisuke was the playwright for the Japanese parts, while Ha Quang Minh wrote the Vietnamese.
The main actors and actresses who took the leading roles in the opera are Vietnamese sopranos Dao To Loan and Bui Thi Trang for the role of princess Anio, while Japanese male tenors Kobori Yusuke and Yamamito Kohei took the role of Japanese businessman Araki Sotaro.
The opera is a perfect combination of Vietnamese and Japanese musical culture and its staging reflects the close friendship and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu
The project also featured the participation of researcher Phan Hai Linh as historical consultant, Japanese artist Ando Saeko as the image director, and artist Oyama Daisuke as the director, along with artists from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Vietnam National Opera, and Ballet Theatre and Art Creation JDC.
The opera’s premier was staged at the Hanoi Opera House on September 22 evening in the presence of Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, who were on their official visit to Vietnam.
The opera then hit the stage at the Showa Women's University in Tokyo in November, attracting much interest from Japanese audience.
According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Pham Quang Hieu, the opera is a perfect combination of Vietnamese and Japanese musical culture and its staging reflects the close friendship and people-to-people exchanges between the two nations.
a
