Violinist Rodrigo Puskas will perform in Hà Nội on November 18. Photo Hungarian Embassy

HÀ NỘI — Hungarian and Vietnamese musicians will play together in a concert honouring the traditional relationship between the two countries on Tuesday.

The musicians are violinist Rodrigo Puskas and flutist Evelin Balog, violin Hoàng Hồ Khánh Vân, pianists Hoàng Hồ Thu and Trần Viết Bảo.

Puskás has performed in over 30 countries as soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and concertmaster, orchestra leader at major festivals and concert halls around the world, including the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Carnegie Hall in New York and Chateau sur Marne Festival in France.

A 'remarkable violinist' with an already established concert reputation, and a tone that has been called 'beautiful and moving,' his virtuosity is 'breathtaking,' according to The Los Angeles Times.

He received his education at world-class institutions including the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, University of Southern California and Berlin Hochschule of Music. He has also been active as a visiting professor and taught master classes at universities and music academies in the US, Austria, Germany and Việt Nam.

At the concert, he will perform on violins made by Italian Giovanni Battista in the 18th century and Hungarian Samuel Nemessányi in the 19th century.

The violinist and pianist Thu will perform the Vietnamese folk song Bèo Dạt Mây Trôi (Floating Water Ferns and Wandering Clouds). The piece is one of the most well-known Vietnamese folk songs.

Believed to originate from northern Việt Nam, it carries a gentle melancholic tone reflecting the sorrow and longing of a woman separated from her loved ones.

With its slow, lyrical melody built on the traditional pentatonic scale, the piece evokes a deep emotional resonance. It is not only a beautiful expression of folk culture but also a poignant symbol of yearning, love and the quiet sadness embedded in the Vietnamese soul.

Flutist Balog is currently principal 1st flutist of the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. She was a prizewinner in national and international competitions in Budapest, Prague, Belgrade, Timisoara and Pécs.

She has performed with world-class conductors such as Zoltán Kocsis, Pinchas Steinberg and Ádám Fischer. She frequently performs both as a soloist and chamber musician, with a wide repertoire ranging from baroque to contemporary music.

At the concert, she will perform with violinist Vân and pianist Thu the Vietnamese song Ra Ngõ Vào Trông, a quan họ love duet. The UNESCO recognised quan họ songs as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Violinist Vân is a lecturer at the Việt Nam National Academy of Music (VNAM). She has won several international awards, including first prize at the 10th International Violin Competition held in Astana, Kazakhstan in 2023, first prize at a competition in Debrecen, Hungary in 2018 and first prize at the ASEAN International Concerto Competition in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2009.

The musicians will play other pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, Liszt and Brahms. The concert will begin at 8pm at VNAM's Small Hall, 77 Hào Nam Street. — VNS