Conductor Phạm Ngọc Khôi and the Việt Nam National Traditional Orchestra rehearse for the performance on May 29. — Photo courtesy of VNAM

HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam National Traditional Orchestra will perform a concert showcasing the history of traditional music at the Grand Hall of the Việt Nam National Academy of Music (VNAM) on May 29.

The concert, entitled Melody of Vietnamese, will honour VNAM's 70th anniversary and the 17th anniversary of the orchestra, while also seeking to bring traditional music to life through creativity and a distinct Vietnamese identity.

VNAM Director and People's Artist Quốc Hưng said the concert is not merely a celebration of important milestones, but also reflects the vision, aspirations and spirit of continuity embraced by today’s traditional musicians.

“The concert conveys a message of preserving and developing traditional Vietnamese music, while bringing it more powerfully, profoundly and closely into modern life and to wider audiences,” Hưng said.

He added that the orchestra, with its distinct identity and deep cultural roots, is fully capable of reaching international audiences and promoting the rich heritage of traditional Vietnamese music to the world.

Melody of Vietnamese will portray Việt Nam through music reflecting on the growth of the nation’s traditional music alongside the country’s history of struggle, national building and development.

The concert will open with the resounding drums of Hồi Trống Lạc Hồng (Echoes of the Lạc Hồng Drum), unfolding a richly distinctive musical landscape featuring the diverse colours of northern, central and southern Việt Nam. The evening will bridge tradition and modernity, linking classical works and new compositions written for the traditional orchestra.

Audiences will also have the opportunity to enjoy Ông Gióng (Mr Giong) by composer Nguyễn Xuân Khoát, one of VNAM's founders. The piece is regarded as the first major composition written for a Vietnamese traditional orchestra.

The concert will also feature compositions including Giai Điệu Quê Hương (Melodies of the Homeland) by Hồng Thái, Fantasy Việt Nam by Hồ Hoài Anh, Đất Nước Thái Hòa (A Nation in Harmony) by Phạm Ngọc Khôi and Non Sông Một Dải (One Unified Homeland) by Dương Đức Thụy – a piece that was completed earlier this year.

According to People's Artist and orchestra conductor Phạm Ngọc Khôi, the concert highlights its connection between tradition and modernity, as well as between regional folk music traditions and new creative approaches.

Khôi said the presence of both veteran composers and younger artists demonstrates that traditional music remains vibrant, continues to evolve and is fully capable of keeping pace with modern life.

Notably, the concert also features other works inspired from the world cultural heritages including quan họ (love duet singing) and nhã nhạc (royal music). Building on these traditions, composers have developed new works that reflect the spirit of the present day while preserving the essence of Vietnamese culture.

Highlights of the concert will include solo, duet and ensemble performances.

Audiences will also enjoy Concerto Bình Minh for đàn nguyệt (moon lute) performed by People's Artist Cồ Huy Hùng; Ầu Ơ Ví Dầu (Lullaby) featuring the soulful sounds of đàn bầu (monochord) played by artists Lệ Chi and Lệ Giang; as well as Czardas, performed by People's Artist Hoa Đăng and artist Hải Đăng through a combination of the t’rưng, a traditional bamboo xylophone from the Central Highlands, and the two-string fiddle.

Czardas is a rhapsodical concert piece written in 1904, based on a traditional Hungarian folk dance.

Khôi said that performances like Czardas reflect the remarkable development of traditional Vietnamese instruments today. They are no longer confined to a traditional repertoire, but have been refined and expanded in their capabilities, enabling musicians to perform a wide range of musical genres, including western works. — VNS