The poster for 'Romantic Gems – A Night of Tchaikovsky & Dvořák', a special concert celebrating the 70th anniversary of the HCM City Conservatory of Music. Photos thethaovanhoa.vn

HCM CITY — Lovers of classical music are in for an evening of sweeping melodies and Romantic-era splendour as the HCM City Conservatory of Music presents Romantic Gems – A Night of Tchaikovsky & Dvořák.

The concert, scheduled for 7.30pm on June 28 at the conservatory’s Grand Concert Hall, is among the highlights of celebrations marking the institution’s 70th anniversary.

Performed by the HCM City Conservatory Symphony Orchestra (HCSO) under the baton of conductor Trần Nhật Minh, the programme will showcase some of the most beloved works by two giants of 19th-century music: Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Czech master Antonín Dvořák.

Both composers are regarded as defining figures of the Romantic period. Their music, rich in emotion, lyricism and national character, continues to captivate audiences more than a century after it was written.

The evening will open with Tchaikovsky’s celebrated waltz from The Sleeping Beauty, one of the most recognisable pieces in the ballet repertoire. Audiences will then be treated to the composer’s monumental Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, a work renowned for its dramatic opening and virtuosic demands.

The concerto will be performed by pianist Trần Yến Nhi, whose artistic path has been closely connected to the composer’s legacy.

Pianist Trần Yến Nhi, a graduate of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, will perform Tchaikovsky’s 'Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor'.

Born into a family with a strong artistic tradition, Nhi began studying piano at the HCM City Conservatory of Music at the age of seven. At 14, she moved to Russia to continue her training at the Central Music School of Moscow, affiliated with the prestigious Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

She graduated with distinction from the conservatory in 2022 and completed postgraduate studies in piano performance two years later. Now a lecturer at the conservatory’s Piano Faculty, she is among a new generation of Vietnamese musicians building international careers while contributing to music education at home.

The second half of the concert will feature Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major, one of the composer’s most joyful and uplifting works. Inspired by the landscapes and folk traditions of his native Bohemia, the symphony is celebrated for its radiant melodies, vibrant orchestration and infectious optimism.

Leading the performance is conductor Minh, widely recognised as one of Việt Nam’s foremost classical musicians.

Conductor Trần Nhật Minh will lead the HCM City Conservatory Symphony Orchestra in a programme featuring works by Tchaikovsky and Dvořák.

A graduate of Russia’s Magnitogorsk State Conservatory and the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, he later pursued advanced conducting studies in Italy and worked with leading international ensembles. In addition to teaching at the HCM City Conservatory of Music, he serves as head of the musical theatre division of the HCM City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera.

For the conservatory, the concert is more than a tribute to two musical legends. It is also a celebration of seven decades of artistic training and cultural contribution.

Since its establishment in 1956, the HCM City Conservatory of Music has played a pivotal role in developing generations of performers, composers and educators who have shaped the country’s classical music landscape.

The event also reflects broader efforts to strengthen Việt Nam’s cultural and creative sectors. As outlined in the Politburo’s Resolution 80-NQ/TW, investment in artistic talent and cultural institutions is increasingly seen as essential to enhancing the nation's cultural vitality and international profile.

Against that backdrop, Romantic Gems offers audiences an opportunity to experience enduring masterpieces while celebrating the musicians and institutions helping classical music flourish in contemporary Việt Nam. — VNS