Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Van Ba, Editor-in-Chief of Vietnamnet Newspaper and the event’s organiser said that since it was first held in 2019, the concert has been established as a major annual cultural event in Hanoi every Independence Day.
Taking place at the Hanoi Opera House at 2:00 PM on September 2 – the moment when President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in front of the historic August Revolution Square, ‘Dieu Con Mai’ has gone beyond the framework of a concert to become a special event to inspire national pride through music.
The programme has also served as a bridge to bring the audience closer to chamber music while helping to encourage patriotism in the hearts of every Vietnamese person.
According to journalist Nguyen Van Ba, 2024 marks many major anniversaries of the country, such as the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the 70th anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation, and the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army.
Therefore, in this year’s edition, the organiser wants to honour the value of these historical events through music.
National concert ‘Dieu Con Mai’ has not only become a special event to inspire national pride through music, but also served as a bridge to bring the audience closer to chamber music while helping to encourage patriotism in the hearts of every Vietnamese person.
That is why the songs selected to be featured at the 2024 concert are eternal melodies remembered by many generations of Vietnamese people. The songs praise profound love for the homeland, the pride in the resounding victories in the national resistance wars against foreign invaders, and the great achievements of the national Doi Moi (Renewal) process, helping listeners travel back to the past during the heroic and arduous years of the nation and discover the beauty of the Vietnamese soul.
Taking on the role of the concert’s music director for the second time, musician Tran Manh Hung said it took him two months to work on the setlist and complete music sheets for the concert.
“The request that Vietnamnet Newspaper made for me was challenging,” he admitted.
“With the theme summarised in three phrases “army”, “victory” and “Hanoians”, I had to mash up the songs to create a story, starting from when Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence, the army marched to the Northwest to liberate Dien Bien, then liberate Hanoi capital city, and prove the power of the Vietnam People's Army”, musician Tran Manh Hung shared.
Such stories will be told through famous musical works namely ‘Hanh Quan Xa’ (The Marching Song) by Do Nhuan, ‘Qua Mien Tay Bac – Chien Thang Dien Bien’ (Heading to the Northwest - Dien Bien Victory) by Nguyen Thanh and Do Nhuan, ‘Tinh Ca Tay Bac’ (A love song in the Northwest) by Bui Duc Hanh and Cam Giang’, ‘The Ballad of Ho Chi Minh by Ewan MacColl and Phu An, ‘Tien Buoc Duoi Quan Ky’ (Marching under the military flag) by Doan Nho, and ‘Nguoi Ha Noi (Hanoians) by Nguyen Dinh Thi.
The songs will be delivered by saxophone artist An Tran, Oplus and Ao Linh music bands, and a line-up of famous artists of revolutionary music, including Meritorious Artists Vu Thang Loi and Pham Khanh Ngoc, vocalist Trong Tan, singers Phuc Tiep and Nguyen Bao Yen.
The 2024 concert will also feature the participation of the Sun Symphony Orchestra and French conductor Olivier Ochanine.
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| French conductor Olivier Ochanine speaking at the press conference (Photo: Le Anh Dung) |
Ochanine overcame nearly 120 conductors from 23 countries to win first prize at the Antal Dorati International Conducting Competition in Budapest, Hungary 2015. The same year, he won the prestigious American Prize (2015) in the Professional Orchestra Conducting division and the second prize in the 2015 London Classical Soloists International Conducting Competition.
Conductor Olivier Ochanine, who has worked and lived in Vietnam for seven years, expressed his great honour to participate in a special concert programme commemorating major historical events in Vietnam.
He said that to prepare for the concert, he spent time researching the repertoire and the meaning of the lyrics to deliver the works to the audience best.
Meanwhile, the Sun Symphony Orchestra, established in 2017, is becoming popular for its chamber music performances and for its significant role in educating and mentoring the young people of Vietnam.
Under the baton of Maestro Ochanine, the orchestra has already collaborated with some of the most famous artists in the world.
