Composer Quốc Trung (centre) is pictured with artists performing at Lối Concert. — Photos courtesy of the organisers

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese folk music, contemporary electronic sound, lighting design, abstract visuals and expressive stage movement converged to create a multisensory musical experience in musician Nguyễn Quốc Trung’s latest concert.

Held at Hồ Gươm Theatre on September 17, Lối (Path) Concert featured music from the artist’s album Đường Xa Vạn Dặm (The Road Far Away) and his Cánh Đồng Di Sản (Fields of Heritage) project.

The special encounter between traditional Vietnamese art and contemporary sounds featured artists from different generations, including People’s Artists Thanh Hoài and Thúy Hường, Meritorious Artists Xuân Diệu and Hoàng Anh, ca trù singer Kiều Anh, marzuz, drummer Hùng Cường and dancer Duy Thành, alongside special guest artists making their debut at Hồ Gươm Opera.

Among them were two artists whom Trung holds in particularly high regard, both for their artistry and their voices. People’s Artists Thanh Hoài and Thúy Hường have collaborated with the composer for more than 20 years and are artists he describes as 'treasures' of Việt Nam’s traditional arts.

Lối was divided into two parts. The first featured world music inspired by, and developed from, Vietnamese traditional genres such as chèo (traditional opera), quan họ (love duet) and xẩm (blind busker singing), combined with innovative electronic sounds to offer audiences a distinctive listening experience. It drew inspiration from works in The Road Far Away, which was first released in 2004.

Folk melodies and comtemporary sound are infused at Lối Concert.

The second part took audiences on a journey to the northwestern mountains via folk-inspired music productions like Mây (Clouds), Trên Lưng Mẹ (On Mother's Back) or Mặt Trời Sau Mưa (Sun after Rain), developed from Trung’s Fields of Heritage project, which was launched in 2023.

The concert was both an experiment by the artist and a journey towards expressing his artistic essence and personal identity after more than 40 years in music. It marks a shift in his musical philosophy towards simplicity and humility, moving away from grand, sweeping ambitions to a more personal artistic identity and distinctive musical signature.

While The Road Far Away reflected a younger Trung’s aspiration to venture far and explore vast, expansive musical landscapes, he now appears to be returning to a smaller, more intimate path – one that reflects his individual character and musical identity.

The musician performs at the concert, which he dedicated to those who have loved and supported him over the years.

For an artist, this is ultimately what matters most: leaving a distinctive mark that reveals who they are and what their music represents.

Lối went beyond the mindset of a composer seeking to affirm national identity and bring Vietnamese music to the world. After the ups and downs of life and the many turns of his own journey, Trung continues to draw consistently on traditional roots as the foundation for exploring the world around him, while distilling everything into a more concise and refined musical language.

Compared with two decades ago, his musical thinking has evolved towards greater minimalism, depth and inner tranquillity, while at the same time becoming more clearly defined in its personal identity.

Every element of the performance – from sound, lighting and visuals to stage movement – was designed to expand the audience’s imagination.

Lối created an electronic musical space built on minimalist motifs and harmonies combined with polyrhythmic techniques, evoking a sense of lightness and floating movement. The programme embraced diverse musical colours and is intended to transcend age and generations in its approach to traditional music.

There were no introductions or narration, as the audience might have already been familiar with the artist and, by its very nature, the concert did not seek to guide them into a predetermined space.

Instead, every element of the performance – from sound, lighting and visuals to stage movement – was designed to expand the audience’s imagination, under the direction of visual director Phạm Hoàng Nam, international lighting specialists and visual artists from Việt Nam, the UK and Australia, who created the abstract imagery.

Amid the melodies, rhythms and successive layers of imagery, each audience member can discover a memory, an emotion or a path uniquely their own.

“Lối is my tribute to those who have loved and supported me over the years,” Trung said

“It expands listeners’ imaginations through my music and your stories. It is not confined to any predetermined space or region, allowing each listener to find spaces of their own.”

The concert was both an experiment by the artist and a journey towards expressing his artistic essence and personal identity after more than 40 years in music.

Trung, born in 1966, is one of the leading musicians in Việt Nam. He is the founder and director of Việt Nam’s biggest international music festival – Monsoon Music – that has presented a line-up of international singers and bands from around the world. — VNS