HÀ NỘI — The world-famous London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) will visit Hà Nội and present an outdoor concert this Saturday, March 4.

The first ever concert by a British orchestra in Việt Nam is being held as part of the annual Vietnam Airlines Classic. The event, held by the national carrier, aims to bring world-class cultural and artistic performances to local audiences, as well as promote cultural exchange between Viet Nam and other parts of the world.

On Saturday, the 95-member orchestra, under the baton of one of the world’s finest conductors, Elim Chan, will present a performance filled with musical virtuosity and enthusiasm. The concert will open with the Vietnamese national anthem, followed by works from Russian composers Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich and Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff, and British Benjamin Britten.

Conductor Chan was born in Hong Kong in 1986, and studied cello and piano as a child. In December 2014, Chan became the first female conductor to win the annual Donatella Flick LSO Conducting Competition, before going on to become the conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra. In April 2016, the Swedish Opera Norrlands Operan announced Chan as its conductor for the next three years, starting in 2017.

Founded in 1904 by a collective of the most talented musicians in London, over the past 100 years the LSO has pursued its strong commitment to bringing top quality music to audiences all over the world.

Owned by its members, and comprising nearly 100 talented artists from many nations, the orchestra continues to showcase high levels of talent – as well as being a regular presence at the Barbican in London, with about 70 shows each year, the LSO also performs more than 70 international concerts annually.

LSO works with some of the most talented artists, including the world’s best conductors, such as Sir Simon Rattle as Music Director; conductors Gianandrea Noseda, Daniel Harding, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Andre Previn.

LSO is also known for LSO Discovery – a musical education and community programme which offers inspiring musical experiences to people of all ages and backgrounds who have not necessarily had much contact with classical music and musicians. About 60,000 people of varying ages, abilities and backgrounds participate in LSO Discovery every year.

LSO also connects with more people under their own record label, LSO Live, which was founded in 1999, bringing classical music to millions of homes around the world.

The LSO concert in Hà Nội, which will take place at Lý Thái Tổ Square by Hoàn Kiếm Lake from 7.45pm to 9.30pm, will be brought to an even larger audience via three big screens placed at both ends of Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street and in Đông Kinh Nghĩa Thục Square.

While many music lovers are eager for the upcoming concert, some wonder if the sound quality suffer from the outdoor setting.

Honna Tetsuji, the Japanese Principal Conductor and Music Director of the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra said: “Of course, you should not compare the sound quality of an outdoor concert with one held in a hall. However, if the organisers can handle the technical matters, you can be sure about the concert’s sound quality.”

“Myself, I have conducted or attended many outdoor concerts with big audiences, and I was satisfied with all of those performances.”

Vietnamese composer and music producer Quoc Trung, who will act as general director of the concert on Saturday said his team have worked “extremely hard” to prepare for the event.

“We’re saving the best for the night. Alongside a standard 22m-by-15m stage with a temporary waterproof roof, we also will set up the world’s No 1 sound system, L-Acoustics, with more than 100 DPA high-end microphones for the performance.”

“As well as everything else, we also have to consider the humidity, to make sure that all the music instruments are in the best condition.”

Trung and his team are quietly confident about their event organising experience. After all, he is the brains behind the Monsoon Music Festival – an international music event held annually in the capital city. — VNS