Hitting the right notes: The 25-member Munich Chamber Choir will hold their first-ever concert in Asia at the Ha Noi Opera House on Thursday in celebration of Europe Day 2013 in Viet Nam. — Photo courtesy of EU Delegation

HA NOI (VNS)— The famed Munich Chamber Choir will hold their first-ever concert in Asia at the Ha Noi Opera House on Thursday to kick off Europe Day 2013 in Viet Nam.

Under the direction of Philipp Amelung, the 25-member choir – which consists of professional singers who perform regularly as soloists in Germany and abroad – has been recognised as one of the best in the country.

The choir not only performs major choral-symphonic works by Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms, but also regularly performs contemporary pieces. With such a special repertoire, the choir has been regarded as a unique ambassador for German choral music in international concert halls.

During their Ha Noi debut, the choir will present the Mass in C-major, op. 86 and Choral Fantasy in C-minor by Beethoven together with the choir and orchestra of the Viet Nam National Opera and Ballet and singers from the Viet Nam National Academy of Music.

Vietnamese artists joining the German choir include sopranos Thang Long and Vanh Khuyen, baritones Vu Manh Dung and Minh Dung and pianist Tran Thi Tam Ngoc.

Amelung said the choir "looks forwards to co-operating with Vietnamese artists because it is very important for us to exchange cultural experiences".

Following their debut performance on Thursday, the choir will perform again at the Opera House the following night.

The choir will then travel to HCM City, where they will present an acapella programme of German hymns and carols from the 16th century on Saturday at the city's Conservatory of Music, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1.

The concerts by the Munich Chamber Choir in Viet Nam are among several cultural and intellectual events set to be held during the month-long Europe Days 2013, which have been organised by the Delegation of the European Union and its members' embassies, aiming to provide a bridge for cross-cultural exchange between Europe and Viet Nam.

Free tickets for the concerts can be collected at the Goethe Institute in Ha Noi, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Tel: (04) 37342251/2/3 or at the EU Delegation, Level 17, Pacific Place Building, 83B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Tel: (04) 39410099, and Goethe Institute in HCM City, 18 Road 1, Cu Xa Do Thanh, Ward 4, District 3, Tel: (08) 38326716. — VNS