Encore: German Christian Schumann will lead the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra in a free concert tonight. — File Photo

HA NOI — German conductor Christian Schumann will lead the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra in a free concert at the Ha Noi Opera House tonight featuring a performance of Dvorak's New World Symphony.

The programme will also include the premiere presentation in Viet Nam of Weber's Clarinet Concerto No 2. The soloist will be Nguyen Quoc Bao, a lecturer at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music and the first clarinet in the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra. Bao has been performing on the instrument since age 10, spent a decade studying in Russia, and performed around the world.

"Although the piece was composed in the beginning of the 19th century, until now, I have not had a chance to perform it for Vietnamese audience. This will be the first time," Bao said.

"Weber wrote this composition for his close friend, a clarinet player," said Bao, "I was moved by the friendship and romantic, dramatic and tragic melody since I learned it in Moscow. I always dreamed of one day performing it."

The complicated rhythm for the clarinet is one among many reasons that few are ambitious to play it, said Bao. When he was invited to perform at tonight's concert, he immediately decided to play the concerto.

"I made a reckless decision because I have only two months to practise the piece. But with the love for it and the desire to bring audiences a new spiritual dish, I doubled the intensity of practising."

Composer Do Hong Quan's Rhapsody Viet Nam will open the concert. The piece was created by Quan during the 10 years he studied at the Tchaikovsky Music Academy in Russia and helped him earn a degree with excellence when he graduated in 1986. Quan brings traditional music from different regions of the country into his composition to express the romanticism, tragedy, heroism and joy in Vietnamese history.

Maestro Schumann began studying the piano at age six and studied conducting and music theory at the Freiburg Conservatory, as well as conducting and composition at the Franz Liszt Conservatory, from which he graduated in 2007. At 27, he is considered one of Germany's rising stars in classical music and has already led such internationally-renowned orchestras as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

In Viet Nam he is appearing for his third time as a guest conductor with the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra is one of the best in Viet Nam, featuring faculty and top students of the Viet Nam National Academy of Music. Many of the musicians have graduated from international music conservatories.

Every year, the Ha Noi Philharmonic Orchestra plays several concerts with guest conductors not only in the capital city of Ha Noi, but also in Quang Ninh Province and the cities of Hai Phong, Hue and HCM City.

The free tickets can be picked up at the Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Ha Noi. The concert begins at 8pm. — VNS