HÀ NỘI – A concert led by conductor Trần Vương Thạch, presenting a new musical piece, and guest pianist Célimène Daudet will be held at the Hà Nội Opera House tonight.

The concert will comprise three pieces -- the new work titled Bong Bóng (Bubble) by Phó Đức Hoàng, concerto for piano in G major by Maurice Ravel and symphony in D minor by Cesar Franck.

Vietnamese composer Hoàng’s work will be premiered at the event.

“The new work by Hoàng is a very good piece,” conductor Thạch said. “It is composed according to a new thought and music writing technique. It will be a surprise for symphony music lovers.”

The piece will be also performed by musicians from the Việt Nam National Symphony and Orchestra (VNSO).

At this Hà Nội concert, the VNSO will also get the opportunity to play composer Franck’s symphony for the first time.

It is the most famous orchestral work and the only mature symphony written by the 19th century composer.

“The piece was performed once by the HCM Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) with a French conductor. The musicians and I are eager to play the piece together,” Thạch said.

Thạch is currently director of the HBSO. He gained state recognition by winning the Meritorious Artist in 2007.

Thạch studied music at the Royal Conservatory of Liège in Belgium and the Conservatory of Maastricht in the Netherlands.

The conductor was invited to perform with the Nis Symphony Orchestra in Serbia, the New Prime Symphony Orchestra in Pusan, South Korea, and the VNSO.

He led the HBSO in the Asian Orchestra Week in Tokyo in 2008 and in 2014.

At present he teaches Ensembles and Instrumentation at the HCM City Conservatory. He also orchestrates for television and recording labels.

This is also the first time Thạch will perform with pianist Daudet, whose performance he saw in HCM City a few years ago.

French-Haitian pianist Daudet is a native of Aix-en-Provence, France. She is the winner of four international solo competitions, as well as the International Pro Music Prize with Guillaume Latour, the violinist with whom she has performed as a duo for many years.

As both a soloist and a chamber musician, she has performed throughout Europe and North America. Her first solo album, a tribute to Bach, was released in 2011 under the Arion label.

This is the second time the pianist is performing in Việt Nam following her first performance in 2014.

The two-night concert will kick off at 8pm at the Hà Nội Opera House, 1 Tràng Tiền Street. — VNS