HCM CITY — The HCM City Music Conservatory is organising a summer music camp to provide participating youth with a platform to showcase their talents during their annual break from school.

The camp is one of many activities that the conservatory plans for 2017. To take part in this camp, applicants were required to display a sound understanding of music and submit video clips of their performances to the organisers via YouTube links or compact disks (CD).

50 applicants aged 7 - 24 from HCM City, Nha Trang, Huế City, Đà Nẵng, Hà Nội, Hải Phòng and South Korea were selected for the camp.

During the one-week camp, they’ll receive training in different music genres and instruments, including classic piano, classical guitar, classical vocals, jazz, flute and others. They will also have the opportunity to join performances with experienced artists, including practicing dancing with teachers from the HCM City Dance School.

After final tests, participants will perform on August 8 at the conservatory.

Organisers aim to make this summer music camp an anticipated annual event, attracting both Vietnamese and foreign students from the Southeast Asian region.

This is the first time the conservatory is organising an international standard music camp, said senior artist Tạ Minh Tâm, deputy director of the conservatory.

“We hope that the camp will add an interesting twist to the city’s music industry,” he said, adding that other music institutions in HCM City should also consider hosting similar activities.

Despite some limitations in facilities and infrastructure, the conservatory has launched other meaningful projects for both students and teachers.

A mini concert held every Saturday morning outside the conservatory is an example. This event has gained in popularity, bringing academic music closer to mainstream audiences.

In a recent seminar, the conservatory proposed that the city authority funds some of its activities this year, including organising concerts and sending students overseas for further education.

Though the plan was approved, a delay in funding has prompted the conservatory to call for support from other sources, including lecturers’ friends and families and some companies, said Tạ Quang Đông, director of the conservatory.

With minimal funding, many projects could not be as professional as the conservatory had planned them to be, he added.

Meanwhile, the conservatory is preparing for three significant events in months to come: a music tour of Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria in October, a national guitar contest in November, and a national classical singing contest in December.

Đông said he hopes the conservatory would become a high-quality music institution recognised not only in Việt Nam but in Asia as a whole. — VNS