German conductor Kerstin Behnke will lead a choral concert, “Voices in Dialogue”, held on September 19 at the HCM City Conservatory of Music as part of the concert series to celebrate its 70th anniversary. — Photo courtesy of the conservatory

HCM CITY — A special classical music concert series will be launched this weekend to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the HCM City Conservatory of Music.

The series will begin with “Voices in Dialogue”, a choral concert co-organised by the conservatory and the Goethe-Institut, on September 19.

The concert will highlight 15 international repertoires and Vietnamese songs and folk songs, such as Abendlied by Liechtenstein composer Josef Rheinberger; Ave Maria, Gratia Plena by Spanish composer Josu Elberdin; Vietnamese folk piece Trống Cơm (Listen to the Drums) arranged by An Ngọc; and Nhạc Rừng (Forest Melody) composed by Hoàng Việt and arranged by Trương Chi.

The performance will feature the Saigon Choir, which was established in 2016 and works under the conservatory.

The choir has hosted 13 concerts and won top awards at five international competitions, including the Gold Award for Mixed Chamber Choir at the Vietnam International Choir Competition 2017, and the online World Choir Games 2021 in Flanders, Belgium.

The concert will be led by Kerstin Behnke, Professor of Choral and Ensemble Conducting at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar, Germany, and Vietnamese conductor Huỳnh Quang Thái.

The show is prepared during the masterclass on choral and conducting hosted by Behnke from September 14-16 at the conservatory.

Behnke is the artistic director of the Via-nova-chor Munich, with which she won one of the two first prizes in the mixed choir category at the German Choir Competition in 2018. She has worked as a guest conductor with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and the Cottbus State Philharmonic, among others.

She was in Việt Nam for the first time in 2025, performing with the HCM City Ballet, Symphony Orchestra and Opera during the Autumn Melodies Arts Festival.

The concert will begin at 8pm at the conservatory at 112 Nguyễn Du Street in Bến Thành Ward.

People’s Artist Doãn Tiến will lead the concert “Thanh Âm Còn Mãi” (Echoes Forever) on September 20 to honour 12 Vietnamese composers. — Photo courtesy of the conservatory

The conservatory will bring together over 200 performers and students to present compositions by leading figures in Vietnamese music at a concert, “Thanh Âm Còn Mãi” (Echoes Forever), on September 20.

The concert will honour 12 composers, including People’s Artists Doãn Tiến and Quang Hải, Meritorious Artist Nguyễn Phúc Linh, Đỗ Hồng Quân, Ca Lê Thuần, Đàm Linh, Phạm Minh Tuấn, and others.

The programme will include 13 works, such as Khát Vọng Phương Nam (Southern Aspiration) by Doãn Tiến, Fantasy No. 1 by Quang Hải, overture Mùa Xuân Thế Kỷ (Spring of the Century) by Hoàng Cương, and Việt Nam Tiếng Hát Trái Tim Ta (Việt Nam – Song of Our Hearts) by Ca Lê Thuần.

The performance will feature the Traditional Music Orchestra, the Saigon Mandoline - Guitare Orchestra, and the HCMC Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, along with the Saigon Choir, chamber ensembles, and piano soloists.

Meritorious Artist Trần Vương Thạch and composer Doãn Tiến will conduct the concert.

The show will begin at 7.30pm at the conservatory. — VNS