Violinist Đỗ Phương Nhi will perform at the Christmas concert at St Joseph's Cathedral on December 21. Photo afamily.com

HÀ NỘI – A concert featuring Christmas melodies will be held on December 21 at Hà Nội’s St Joseph’s Cathedral.

This is the first large classical concert held inside the church to celebrate the festive season.

The Maestoso Company’s concert will star pianists Đào Trọng Tuyên, Hoàng Hồ Thu and Đào Trọng Nguyên Anh; violinist Đỗ Phương Nhi; cellist Trần Hồng Nhung; and Trio L’espoir, comprising pianist Nguyễn Thái Hà, violinist Nguyễn Hà Linh and cellist Bùi Lê Huyền Linh.

They are prominent artists of Vietnamese classical music, who have performed around the world and won many awards. Among them, Nhi is a young musician who has frequently appeared on concert stages in Việt Nam. She was invited to perform as a soloist with the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11 and has performed successfully with many international orchestras.

The repertoire includes Mozart’s Trio for Piano, Violin, Cello in B flat Major which was composed in 1786, often regarded as the peak period of Mozart. The piece has a flamboyant and lively character, resembling a concerto more than a common chamber music work.

The programme includes Chaconne in D minor, the last movement of Bach’s Violin Partita No 2, one of the most famous pieces in the violin repertoire; Prokofiev’s (1891 - 1953) Sonata for Cello and Piano Op.119 in C Major – Andante Grave Moderato Animato; F Chopin’s (1810 - 1849) Scherzo No 2 Op.31 in B flat minor and F Mendelssohn’s (1809 - 1847) Trio for Piano, Violin & Cello No.1 – Molto Allegro ed Agitato.

Founded in 2017 by famous artists including talented pianist Lưu Đức Anh, Maestoso Company has successfully organised many classical concerts. Many of them have a charitable purpose and received donations.

“Bringing Maestoso the biggest success is the concerts held in the churches,” said pianist Anh.

“The characteristic architecture of the cathedral will deliver a high-quality acoustic and intimate atmosphere to listeners. Both performers and audiences will be able to experience the atmosphere of traditional European classical music.”

“With the desire to bring classical music to Vietnamese public in a wide way, all concerts in the cathedral are free.”

“The long-term goal of these concerts is to create a habit of listening to classical music, in its most original way, and gradually become a cultural feature of the capital,” he said.

The concert will take place at 8.30pm at the St Joseph’s Cathedral, 40 Nhà Chung Street, Hà Nội. Entrance is free. VNS