HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) and Spanish musicians will perform classical operas, music pieces and ballets at Hà Nội Opera House on April 14 and 15.

The first part of the show will have artists performing opera arias and music pieces; and the second part will be a ballet by Meritorious dancer Phan Văn Lương, Việt An and other dancers from the VNOB.

Conductor David Gomez Ramirez will lead both the orchestra and piano soloist Jesus Ma Gosmez Rodriguez to play pieces by contemporary Spanish composers Vicente Ortiz Gimeno and Joan Eric Canet Todoli.

This is the first time that the orchestra will play Gimeno’s Overture for Symphony Orchestra, while it will be a world premiere for Todoli’s Piano Concerto No. 1.

Ramirez is one of Spain’s most promising young conductors and composers. He received the Giraldillo de Oro prize in 2010, the highest award in Spain given by the Cultural Arts and Sciences Association. He has served as a resident conductor in Seville and Coutances Orchestre in France and has guest conducted around Spain and Western Europe. He performed in Việt Nam in 2015 and 2016.

Ramirez returns to Hà Nội this time with pianist Rodriguez. The 1965-born musician has won numerous prizes at international piano competitions in France and Spain and has taught at Spanish, French and Japanese universities. While he has done concert tours through Europe, the US and Japan, this is the first time he will be performing in Việt Nam.

“We want to introduce Spanish music, including classical and contemporary musicians, to Vietnamese audiences,” said VNOB director Phạm Anh Phương, also the performance’s artistic director.

Sopranos Tố Loan and Vành Khuyên, baritone Mạnh Dũng and mezzo soprano Phương Đông will sing arias by Spanish composer Vicente Martín y Soler, Italian composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini and Mozart.

The chorus will perform two pieces by Bizet and Verdi. Mezzo soprano Thu Quỳnh, baritone Huy Đức and the chorus will perform the Carmen opera’s famous aria L’amour est un oiseau rebelle (The Habanera).

After the interval, audiences will see the ballet, The Rite of Spring, written by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky in 1913. It depicts a pagan spring ritual, where a group of elders observe a dance in preparation for the death of a girl whom they are offering as sacrifice to the god of spring for his benevolence.

It will be staged by choreographer Phạm Minh, who has been a soloist in France’s Ballet du Capitole for 10 years. “Minh has modified the work to suit the body shape, rhythm and customs of Vietnamese people,” Phương said. “The physical movements as well as the story behind this piece are characterised in Vietnamese style. A mysterious tale combined with Stravinsky’s beautiful compositions will make for a fascinating ballet.”

The performance will begin at 8pm. — VNS