Saigon Chamber Music Festival

HCM CITY — A night of music, From Bach to the Blues will kick off the 2^nd Saigon Chamber Music concert series in HCM City.

The returning trio, Norwegian violinist Atle Sponberg, UK cellist Zoe Marlew and Vietnamese pianist Nguyen Bich Tra will carry the night.

Music pieces of depth and variety begin with the likes of JS Bach, Ravel, Chopin, Mendelssohn and carry on to the 20th century with Gershwin and Nicholai Kapustin.

"From Bach to Blues is a concept that we are very fond of because it will introduce a colourful programme ranging from Bach to Kapustin to the Vietnamese audience," said pianist Bich Tra.

"The audience will experience music styles and ways of expression — from stylish Baroque dances, dreamy and expressive worlds of the Romantic era, to the sense of urgency in the modern vocabulary of living composers."

Pianist Bich Tra.

The concert start at 8pm on Saturday at HCM City Conservatory of Music, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1.

The concert series lasts one week, during which musicians will offer classes at the conservatory to 22 young, talented musicians selected from auditions held around the country.

According to a representative of the concert's board, the festival is structured after a music festival model popular in Western cultures in which performances are followed by extra curriculum activities. The model aims to expand young musicians' experience and help them reposition their development.

A concert by the young musicians, From the Baroque to the Broadway, will then be held on August 8 at 7pm.

In addition to the concerts and chamber music course, the week programme also includes an array of master classes and workshops free-of-charge and open to the public at 5pm from August 2 to 6. Seminar topics include Useful Exercises for Musicians, Fascinating Rhythm and How to Practise Efficiently. — VNS