Toyota Concert to hit stages in Hanoi, HCM City

Two shows of the Toyota Concert 2023 will be held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on August 5 and 8, respectively, the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) announced.
Both concerts, featuring Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji and pianist Nguyen Dang Quang, promise to bring impressive classical music to the public. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to students majoring in classical music as part of the Toyota Scholarship to support young Vietnamese musical talent.

Pianist Nguyen Dang Quang was born into a family of artists. He studied piano at the Vietnam National Academy of Music from the age of 9.

The pianist Nguyen Dang Quang is one of the most talented artists in Vietnam. Photo: VNSO

In 2020, at 22, he completed his undergraduate studies in classical piano performance at the University of Montreal (Canada), receiving a full scholarship from the Vietnamese Government under the guidance of renowned Vietnamese pianist Professor Dang Thai Son.
He completed his master's degree program in 2022 and is now pursuing his doctorate at the University of Montreal. Being the winner of many prestigious music awards, Quang is considered a "new phenomenon" in Vietnamese music.

In the Toyota Concert 2023 program, Quang will join conductor Honna Tetsuji and the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra to perform two world classics. Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 and Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43.

Among them, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, composed by composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, consists of 24 variations.

Each variation has a different musical material, telling the story of Paganini - an Italian violinist and composer, his confrontation with the devil and his love for a woman.

Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43 by composer Jean Sibelius is also known as the "Independence Symphony" with bold Finnish music.

Each chapter of the work consists of several segments with different tempos, expressing rich nuances.

Besides the 2023 Toyota Concert, the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra will also perform a summer concert on the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan (1973-2023).

Conductor Honna Tetsuji and the Vietnam Symphony Orchestra. Photo: VNSO

The event will be held on the evening of August 10 at the Trung Vuong Theater in Danang City, promoting cultural and artistic ties and reaffirming the long-term cooperation between the two countries. The public in the beautiful coastal city and numerous tourists will enjoy the world's classical musical works.

There are gentle, soaring melodies such as "Morning Mood" by the musician Edvard Grieg; or the sound of the ticking clock, the cat dancing to the waltz, the tango to the modern work of Leroy Anderson; the masterpieces of Johann Strauss, the Pizzicato Polka.

A very interesting part of the event for the audience is the opportunity to participate in the Conductor's Corner, standing on stage as a conductor.

Conductor Honna Tetsuji will conduct an excerpt from the musical Carmen and the audience will have the opportunity to show their conducting skills and interact with the orchestra.
Honna Tetsuji has served as Music Director and Chief Conductor of the VNSO since 2009. He was appointed conductor of the Osaka Symphony Orchestra from 1995 to 2001, and was a frequent guest conductor of the Nagoya Philharmonic Orchestra from 1998 to 2001. Since 2021, he has been the Artistic Advisor of the Vietnam Young Music Academy (VYMI).