Students from Hope School join a music performance with artists of the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra and Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji in Đà Nẵng. The music performance aims to ease the pain of students who lost their parents to COVID-19. Photo courtesy of FPT Group

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra and Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji performed a charity concert on March 13th in the central city for students who lost their parents to COVID-19 as part of the "Việt Nam-Japan Jointly Light Up Hope" program. 

The event, made possible through funding from Sompo Japan Insurance Inc and the expertise of conductor Honna Tetsuji, featured renowned compositions such as Salut D'amour, Turkish March, Merry Go Round, and Under the Sea.

The Hope School students also participated in the concert, showcasing their gratitude to donors and visitors with Vietnamese children's songs.

“It’s a wonderful moment that I have waited a long time for since I shared the idea of the concert with Taketoshi Nagaoka (head representative office of Sompo Japan Insurance Inc)," Honna Tetsuju said at the concert. "I was so impressed with community charity programmes organised by FPT Group and the support for the COVID-19 motherless students at the Hope School.”

“I want to transmit the emotion through music from the heart, not just with words, to the students who lost their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a harmony in the soul that artists from Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra expressed through music and students’ performances tonight.” 

Taketoshi Nagaoka said he was touched by a visit to the school last July, and he shared ideas with the Japanese conductor on beginning a concert programme to help children who lost their parents to COVID-19.

The Hope School, which took care of 1,000 COVID-19 parentless children in 2021, is the only school in Việt Nam receiving charity support through the Educational Fund through music programmes from the Japanese Government.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Japan-Việt Nam diplomatic ties.

The educational fund aims to ease the pain of underprivileged kids through music, helping them have more hope and confidence in life.

Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji (centre), Taketoshi Nagaoka, artists from the Việt Nam National Symphony Orchestra and students from Hope School after the charity concert in Đà Nẵng. Photo courtesy of FPT Group

The FPT-initiated ‘Việt Nam-Japan Jointly Light Up Hope’ music programme has sponsorships from the Japanese business community to help support children who lost parents to COVID-19 at the Hope School.

According to the programme organisers, the educational fund through music performances will be organised at the school over three years, with three music performances each year.

More than 3,500 runners joined a charity fundraising race FPT Happy Run, contributing $140,000 to support underprivileged students in remote mountainous areas.

The school, based in the FPT City in Ngũ Hành Sơn District, provides full education and nourishment for 1,000 COVID-19 parentless students. — VNS