Photo show depicts conductors

September 19, 2017 - 09:00

Local audiences can catch a glimpse of orchestral artists at an exhibition featuring photographs of conductors taken by photographer Nguyễn Đình Toán.

Graceful: A photograph featuring artist Đặng Châu Anh. The exhibition features more than 50 photographs of conductors taken by photographer Nguyễn Đình Toán. — Photo thethaovanhoa.vn
Viet Nam News

HÀ NỘI — Local audiences can catch a glimpse of orchestral artists at an exhibition featuring photographs of conductors taken by photographer Nguyễn Đình Toán.

The exhibition, titled 27 & 45, not only reveals new angles on conductors but also tells the story of the photographer, who has more than 20 years’ experience capturing these moments.

“I admire those who play classical music in Việt Nam very much,” Nguyễn Đình Toán said. “Taking portraits of orchestra conductors is itself a way to learn patience and courtesy.”

“I like the graceful manner of conductors, even though I may not have a good ear for music. This may be an advantage because if I love music and am too engaged in listening to it, then it would be hard to concentrate and capture the subtle facial expressions of the artists,” Toán said.

Leading figure: With a vast collection of photographs of artists, Nguyễn Đình Toán is known as the "governor of the bank of arts and music photographs. — Photo thethaovanhoa.vn

Initially, the photographer planned to feature 45 photographs of 27 Vietnamese and international conductors who performed in Việt Nam from the late 1980s. The subjects include Yoshikazu Fukumura, Đỗ Dũng, Graham Sutcliffe and Lê Phi Phi, as well as Trọng Bằng, Doãn Nguyên and Đỗ Hồng Quân.

However, in the last days before the exhibition was to open, Toán discovered more photographs, increasing the number in the show to 51, and the number of conductors to 30.  His oldest photograph was taken in 1996 and the most recent was shot on September 2 this year.

With a vast collection of photographs of artists, Toán is called the "governor of the bank of arts and music photographs".

Toán held his first photo exhibition in 2013, which featured photos of late composer Văn Cao, considered one of the most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music. His work includes Tiến Quân Ca (Việt Nam’s National Anthem), Làng Tôi (My Village), Mùa Xuân Đầu Tiên (First Spring) and Ngày Mùa (Harvest). 

The exhibition, organised by Xưa & Nay (Past and Present) magazine and Heritage Club, runs until Saturday on 1C Tông Đản Street, Hà Nội. — VNS

 

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