HÀ NỘI – Phạm Thu Trang, a mother of an autistic child from Quảng Ninh Province, felt deeply moved after attending the charity concert Nắng Hoàng Hôn (Glowing Sunset) last Saturday night at the National Economic University (NEU) Hall in Hà Nội.

Trang was among more than a thousand classical music lovers, friends and families present at the NEU to enjoy the concert, the second of the annual Nắng Hoàng Hôn series, themed Unsent Letters, performed by local and foreign professional musicians.

Trang said “the concert’s classical melodies were inspiring compassion, promoting meaningful values, and encouraged parents and society to join efforts together to help and understand vulnerable and fragile children.”

This year’s concert continued its mission of supporting underprivileged patients while offering emotional healing through music.

Local and foreign artists perform at the charity concert Nắng Hoàng Hôn 2025 at the National Economics University (NEU) Hall in the capital on September 6. Photos Thế Quang Đỗ

This year’s theme, Unsent Letters, drew inspiration from Letter to His Father by Franz Kafka and touched on the silent emotional wounds often formed in childhood. These unspoken struggles — shaped by a lack of understanding, lost dreams, and fragile connections with parents or relatives — often linger into adulthood, unheard and unresolved.

Through this deeply reflective programme, the concert gave voice to those silent journeys and offered a space for healing, both emotional and physical, through the power of music.

Russian violinist Victoria Filippova from the Sun Symphony Orchestra, who graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, said “I’m always eager to take any opportunities to perform chamber music, especially with such fantastic musicians. It was even more meaningful to be part of an event that promotes such important humanitarian goals. I believe that through community and support, people can understand each other better.

Sisters Hoàng Hồ Thu (piano) and Hoàng Hồ Khánh Vân (violin) were performing at the concert.

“I really enjoy the atmosphere on campus and the presence of students. I could feel the energy and intensity of their lives,” she said.

The first similar programme last year was inspired by the book Hồi Ký Chạy Thận (Memoir of a Dialysis Patient) and driven by the heartfelt messages that author and 17-year haemodialysis patient Hồ Hồng Việt, 71, wished to share. The Nắng Hoàng Hôn charity concert emerged as a collaborative effort between the author’s family, a group of artists and the NEU (National Economics University) Philharmonic and Humans of ISME@NEU.

"Although each year will focus on a different topic, all will continue to explore the depth of classical music’s spirituality towards lofty humanistic values, helping human beings incline towards the good and live better lives,” a member of the organising board said.

Among the artists performing at the concert, the sisters Hoàng Hồ Thu (piano) and Hoàng Hồ Khánh Vân (violin), who are now lecturers at the Vietnam National Academy of Music (VNAM), both completed a Master of Music course at the Liszt Academy in Hungary. They have performed as soloists with the Việt Nam Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) at VNAM’s Music Hall and participated in many concerts both inside and outside the country.

The concert also featured cellist Lưu Ly Ly from the VNSO, who graduated from Saint Petersburg, Belarussian Svetlana Golubovskaya, principal violist of the Sun Symphony Orchestra, Russian violinist Victoria Filippova from the Sun Symphony Orchestra, who graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and contrabassist Ngô Toàn Thắng from the Sun Symphony Orchestra. VNS