Pianist Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang graduated from Karlsruhe University of Music majoring in piano and teaching piano. Photo courtesy of ther concert organiser

HÀ NỘI – Musical works for cello and piano inspired by Trịnh Công Sơn (1939-2001)’s songs will be presented at a concert on August 30 in Hà Nội.

Themed From Trịnh Công Sơn: New Sounds from the Wind, the concert will feature cellist Phan Đỗ Phúc and pianist Nguyễn Quỳnh Trang.

Both of them are talented artists who have won many prizes at home and abroad.

Musician Nguyễn Ngọc Tú transcribed some of Sơn's most popular songs for piano and cello. This is the first time works including Hãy Yêu Nhau Đi (Let’s Love), Ở Trọ (Lodging) and Để Gió Cuốn Đi (Let’s the Wind Blow Away) have been presented to the public.

The programme also includes La fille aux cheveux de lin by Debussy, Liebesfreud by F Kreisler, Ave Maria by J S Bach and Song My Mother Taught Me by A Dvorak.

The concert is a narrative, also a response written in music, where the personal sorrows of Trịnh Công Sơn are sung by young artists with a new breeze in expression, according to producer Phương Vũ.

“Music pieces inspired by Sơn’s songs will be performed alternately with classical works of Bach, Debussy or Kreisler as a way for artists to talk about the correlation between different flows of music, and at the same time indicate the intersection of them,” said Vũ.

“Phúc is a cello artist who simply loves and is interested in new harmonies. He wants to find a way to make his guitar 'sing' loud and clear instrumental songs.

“While pianist Trang chose to reminisce, observe and experience deeply every moment of her life to ‘understand Sơn’ more and bring his feelings to a more mature, deeper level.

“Young musician Tú chose to transcribe Sơn’s music as a way to learn to walk with all his confusion and concerns of life, the same way the late musician tried to ‘forgive life’ and learned to love despair. All these very personal stories will be told in music at the concert.”

The concert will be narrated with the extracts from Sơn's writings over many years.

 “The concert is a combination of feelings of the late talented musician and the story of young artists who find themselves on a journey with Sơn,” said Vũ.

Cellist Phan Đỗ Phúc studied cello at the Luther College and Stony Brook University (the US) before performing solos and in orchestras around the world. Photo courtesy of the concert organiser

The concert will take place from 8pm at the Concert Hall, 19 Lê Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội. Tickets range from VNĐ200,000 to 500,000 (about US$10-25). VNS