A two-night concert entitled Cam Tay Mua He (Holding the Hands of Summer) featuring two leading pop singers Thanh Lam and My Linh will take place at Ha Noi Opera House on June 9 and 10.

The concert comes at the hands of veteran producer Quoc Trung. As the most anticipated concert of the year, this is the first time the two divas as well as their band will perform together.

Trung talked about his latest music project.

Yours and songwriter Anh Quan's pop bands will have a chance to show your talents at this concert. As you both come from families of professional musicians, what do you expect from concert?

We expect to work together in the concert which will inspire us a lot. Life and art is all about choice. It would be tragic if we tried to compare ourselves to each other rather than simply accept what life and art bring to us.

Thanh Lam was a leading vocalist of the Holding the Hands of Summer show last year and My Linh recently toured some big cities with her own live show. How will they be in the upcoming concert?

As singers they meet the demands of the concert. The contrast between their musical styles and level will entertain the audiences.

Creativity is never boring. We don't just invite the two divas to sing in the concert, but rather we invite them to partake in a highly personalised way. The songs will be reworked to create some surprises for the audience and inspire the artists themselves.

From my experiences, art needs contrast, harmony, and an emotional weight. I can't know what the audience wants to listen to. But as a producer, I can know all the songs and how they are performed on the stage. As a result, there is little risk in the concert.

The combination of stars in a show will not determine the success of it. It's how the combination inspires the audience. Star power and talent are necessary, but the collaboration between two people is what matters. Bringing a new experience to the audience is our goal.

How did you react when the singers refused your proposal for them sing in English? Will the concert be introduced by an MC?

I don't think that the director should be more powerful than the team. I'm the director of the concert, but if I want success, I need to respect their ideas. They need to be inspired to sing well, and I always encourage them to sing what they like most. It's better than choosing the songs that the audience wants to listen.

Each show targets a different audience. I want the audience to be entertained by the music and I think there are not many shows out there that can do this like us. As I said above, the most important thing is creativity which will require a lot of hard work.

How will you put the two bands together on stage ?

The Ha Noi Opera House will turn into a studio to house my and Quan's many musical instruments. The two bands Anh Em (Brothers) and Phuong Dong (The Orient) will appear on the stage to create a dialogue in their music. The stage will be not decorated. — VNS