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Harmony of nations: Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura will conduct the ASEAN Symphony Orchestra, which gathers musicians from 15 countries and territories. — File Photo |
HA NOI — The HCM City Conservatory of Music will echo with the sounds of the ASEAN Symphony Orchestra in its debut performance tonight.
The orchestra gathers 85 musicians from 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries. Guest musicians from Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and the US will also join tonight's performance.
The orchestra was founded on the idea of building the reputation of academic music in the region, said director of the HCM City Conservatory of Music Van Thi Minh Huong.
"Because the ASEAN orchestra mostly gathers young musicians, we also expect they will have more opportunities to express their talent in international performances," she said.
Orchestral performances are expected to become annual events in each ASEAN country every year.
Vietnamese members of the orchestra were selected from the country's leading musical institutions, including the HCM City Conservatory of Music, the National Academy of Music, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Viet Nam Orchestra and Ballet.
Under the baton of Japanese conductor Yoshikazu Fukumura, who has been the director of music and conductor of the HCM City Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra since 1993, the ASEAN orchestra will perform the Academic Festival by Johannes Brahms as the overture.
Young violinist Anna Sowanna from Thailand will perform Carmen Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra by Pablo Sarasate, followed by Vietnamese pianist Nguyen Tuan Manh, who will play the Concertstuck for Piano and Orchestra, Op.79 by CMV Weber.
The entire orchestra will perform symphony No 9 in E Minor From the New World by Antonin Dvorak.
After the performance in HCM City, the orchestra will travel to Da Nang and Ha Noi to perform on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
They will give another performance on Friday at the Viet Nam National Convention Centre in Ha Noi during a gala dinner for leaders of ASEAN countries.
The gala dinner is scheduled as an official activity of the ASEAN Summit, which will take place in Ha Noi from October 28-30.
ASEAN countries include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. — VNS