HÀ NỘI — The 2nd Hà Nội Alma International Guitar Festival will be held in Hà Nội from October 26 to 28, including a competition and performances.

Some 40 international contestants from Thailand, the Philippines, Canada, the Netherlands and Việt Nam will compete in four categories. Professional guitar players will compete in group A, while contestants under 18 years old will compete in group B.

Group C will include contestants under 13 years old and group D will be for amateur players. The contestants will choose a piece to perform of about 6-10 minutes in length.

The youngest contestant is Đoàn Đức Quang, aged 9, and the oldest is Nguyễn Hồ, aged 53. Hồ will compete with 13 others in group D.

The best performances will be selected to compete in the final round on October 28.

"The festival is held to honour classical music," said guitarist Vũ Hiển, head of the organisation board. "It will nurture talented guitar players and promote guitar playing in Hà Nội and the whole country as well. The performances by international artists will be a top attraction for visitors.”

The winners of groups A and B will be given an Alma guitar worth US$5,500 and $2,500, respectively. The winner of group A will also be invited to perform at the next festival in 2019.

The winner of group C will get a Vietnamese guitar worth $600 while winner of group D will walk away with an Altamira guitar worth $700.

The seven members of the jury are South Korean Hee Hong-kim, Italian Lorenzo Bernadi, Icelandic Johannesson Thor, Japan’s Samomi Kono and Kozo Tate, and Vũ Việt Cường, Châu Đăng Khoa and Lê Thu of Việt Nam.

"I’m honourable to be one of the jurors at the second festival," said Lê Thu. "The festival will help popularise Vietnamese classical guitar. It is a good chance for young guitar players to exchange and share experience with international friends.”

Juror Thu will also perform alongside Bernadi playing Italian pieces at the award ceremony on October 28.

During the three-day festival, jurors and international artists like Kono, Rakanakarn, Suthisak Pom Sincharoen and Pierre Bibault will perform. A master class will be held at 8.30 in the morning on October 28, and the award ceremony will be held at 8pm.

The 1st Hà Nội Alma International Festival was held last year with the participation of nearly 30 international and Vietnamese artists. — VNS