Front row seats: Pop singers Hong Nhung and My Linh will participate in this year's Luala concerts — VNS Photo

HA NOI (VNS)— Hundreds of Ha Noi citizens have already notified organisers that they will be out in strength for the first performance of the season by the city's noted free street orchestra, starting this Saturday.

Leading Vietnamese pop singers Hong Nhung, My Linh and Thanh Lam will appear in the popular autumn-winter street concerts.

This is the third time since December 2011 that chamber music has been taken out of the concert hall to entertain people in the street. The name of the concert is Luala, after a fashion house that is helping back the show.

The number of artists has jumped from 20 in the first season last year to 30.

Apart from the participation of the top pop vocalists, singers Hong Vy and Ha Pham Thang Long, will also join in the Sunday afternoon performances.

The diversified performances and higher number of artists promise to make the five-week event outstanding, free public entertainment, said the concert's director Nguyen Xuan Huy.

Classical music still dominates, including pieces by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, and Vivaldi.

"We hope the solos will enable the Hanoians to know more about individual instrument featured in an orchestra and how its sound is," Huy said.

The open-air performances will take place on the pavement in front of the Music Publishing House in Ly Thai To Street. There will be three performances each weekend: Saturdays (3-5pm), and Sundays (10-12am, and 3-5pm).

Saturday performances will be reserved for solo performances by such artists as Chau Son from Ha Noi National Conservatory of Music; violin-cellist Bui Gia Tuong, former head of the Arts Performing Department; and violin-cellist Tran Thi Mo from the Viet Nam National Symphony Orchestra.

Three string quartets will take turn to perform on Sunday mornings. The first Sunday morning performance this weekend will feature the Ha Noi Brass Band.

And on Sunday afternoons, audiences will be treated to performances by the complete symphony orchestra, including 19 string players, nine wind players, one drummer and one singer.

"The world treasure of chamber music is pretty huge, so we try to do our best to share it with everybody," said conductor Nguyen Khac Thanh.

"We decided to join because the concert is of great social significance," said pop singer My Linh.

Organisers said that on Monday, 500 people had already said on Facebook that they would attend the opening show.

The free shows will last from November 10 to December 9. They are being organised by Luala, Music Publishing House and Vietnamese artists under the auspices of Ford Viet Nam and Vietcombank. — VNS