The National Traditional Musical Instrument Solo and Ensemble Competition 2026 is expected to attract as many as 800 artists nationwide. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

HÀ NỘI — The National Traditional Musical Instrument Solo and Ensemble Competition 2026 is scheduled to take place in Lâm Đồng and Thái Nguyên in late October and early November, helping spread the sounds of traditional musical instruments from Việt Nam’s three regions.

The nationwide professional arts competition is organised by the Department of Performing Arts under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with relevant agencies, organisations and localities.

Attracting as many as 800 artists from 33 arts troupes from across the country, the competition will be held over two rounds.

The first will take place from October 24 to 30, at the Lâm Đồng Provincial Theatre of Exhibition and Cultural Arts in the central province of Lâm Đồng, with 17 arts organisations participating.

The second is scheduled for November 6–12, at the Việt Nam National Theatre of Song, Dance and Music’s Thái Nguyên branch in the northern province of Thái Nguyên. It will feature 16 arts organisations.

The competition aims to honour and promote the values of folk and traditional music, highlighting the distinctive characteristics of Việt Nam’s traditional music.

Through solo and ensemble performances, it will introduce the rich diversity of traditional musical instruments and performance genres to a wider audience.

The competition aims to celebrate the distinctive musical sounds of Việt Nam’s regions and ethnic communities. Photo vietnamplus.vn

With the slogan Vietnamese Sounds – Convergence and Brilliance, the competition aims to celebrate the distinctive musical sounds of Việt Nam’s regions and ethnic communities, provide a meeting place for artists, arts organisations and training institutions from across the country, and create opportunities for traditional instrumental performers to showcase their talent, professional skills and creativity on a professional stage.

The competition’s appeal lies first and foremost in its nationwide reach. Theatres, arts troupes, academies, conservatories, arts training institutions and units of the armed forces from across Việt Nam will take part.

“Traditional culture, traditional arts and traditional musical instruments have enduring vitality,” said Nguyễn Xuân Bắc, Director of the Department of Performing Arts.

“Many people speak of the risk that they may gradually disappear, but the number of registrations for this competition clearly shows otherwise.

"The flame of traditional culture continues to burn in the hearts of every artist, musician and performer dedicated to traditional arts."

The spirit of 'Vietnamese Sounds – Convergence and Brilliance' is vividly reflected in the diversity of participating organisations, art forms, musical instruments, works and performance styles. Each organisation brings its own distinctive character to the competition, helping create a picture of Việt Nam’s traditional music that is unified yet diverse.

Northern participants will present programmes rooted in the musical traditions of the midlands, mountainous areas and Red River Delta, as well as traditional theatrical forms.

Meanwhile, central Việt Nam and the Central Highlands will contribute distinctive sounds of court music, tuồng (classical opera), musical theatre and folk songs, alongside a rich array of traditional instruments.

Southern participants will showcase cải lương (reformed theatre), đờn ca tài tử (southern amateur chamber music), Khmer music and innovative ensemble performances reflecting contemporary life.

The strong participation of arts organisations from across the three regions not only demonstrates the appeal and prestige of this nationwide professional competition, but also reflects growing local interest in preserving, inheriting and promoting the values of traditional music. VNS