HCM CITY — More than 70 Vietnamese and foreign guitarists will play at the International Guitar Festival 2017 organised by the HCM City Music Conservatory this week.  

Highlighted artists include Tomonori Arai of Japan, Paulo Inda of Brazil and Paul Cesarczyk of Poland. Vietnamese artists Trí Đoàn, Phương Thư, Thành Lộc and Hồng Hà will also be featured.

The festival will include three concerts featuring popular pieces written by talented composers.

The event’s opening show, called Một Vòng Thế Giới - Around The World, will feature guitarists from Malaysia, Thailand, the Republic of Czech and Việt Nam.

They will play works by Hector Villa Lobos, Astor Piazzolla and Isaac Albeniz.

The second concert, Âm Điệu Châu Âu- Voices of Europe, will highlight Japanese and French artists Tomonori and Thomas Csaba Andras.

Both will play Renaissance and contemporary music by European composers.    

Vietnamese artists will be featured at the last show, From Villa-Lobos to John Lennon.

They will play the legendary song Yesterday by the Beatles.

The work was rewritten for guitar by Japanese artist Toru Takemitsu. 

Brazian Paulo will stage a solo performance with Hector Villa Lobos’ 12 Etudes.

"I love music by guitar. I believe the festival will help bring the music to audiences and help Vietnamese guitarists improve as well," said Trần Minh Chương, a student at the HCM City University of Culture.  

Chương will participate in a contest for amateur guitarists, one of three contests  which are launched by the festival’s organising board.

The two remaining contests, one aimed at professional guitarists and the other for young players under 18 years old, will take place during the festival.

More than 50 guitarists are signed to attend the contests.

Workshops and master classes by talented guitarists will also be included.

The five-day festival will open on November 8 at the conservatory’s music hall, 112 Nguyễn Du Street, District 1.

Tickets are available at the box office. — VNS