HCM CITY — The California-based Vietnamese zitherist Võ Vân Ánh, whose stage name is Vanessa Vo, will perform at Soul Live Project Complex in District 3 tonight.

Ánh will play along with American rapper Dem One and breakdancer NastyRay.

Percussionists Joshua Mellinger and Jason Jong, and cellist Misha Khaikulov of the US, will be also featured.

All are members of Blood Moon Orchestra, a musical performance project of recording artist and drummer PC Muñoz, Dem One, and collaborative partners.

The artists will bring a blend of traditional and contemporary music to the concert.

Ánh began studying đàn tranh (16-chord zither) when she was four years old, graduating with distinction from the Việt Nam National Academy of Music. In 1995, she won the National Đàn Tranh Competition along with an award for a solo performance of modern folk music.

She plays traditional Vietnamese musical instruments like the đàn tam thập lục (36-chord zither), đàn bầu (monochord) and t’rưng (bamboo xylophone).

She also produces compositions combining folk and modern melodies for Vietnamese musical instruments.

She co-composed and recorded the 2009 Emmy Award-winning soundtrack for the documentary Bolinao 52, a production about Vietnamese boat people by Vietnamese-American director Đức Nguyễn.

She also wrote music for the 2003 Academy Awards nominee Daughter from Danang, a documentary about the life of Mai Thị Hiệp, one of the children brought to the US from Việt Nam in 1975 during Operation Babylift.

The concert will begin at 8pm at 216 Pasteur Street in District 3. Tickets are available at the venue. — VNS