Tuesday, 04/07/2017 17:54 (GMT+7)
For the first time Vietnamese opera works by a Vietnamese origin composer have been presented at the Forfest International Music Festival in the Czech Republic.
Artist Hoang Thi Kieu Anh and artist Nao Higano performed at the festival (Photo: VNA)
This is a significant event for the music of Vietnam. This famous international contemporary music festival runs from May 12th to September 3rd in the four cities of Kromeriz and Olomou (Czech Republic), Bratislava (Slovakia), and San Marino (the Republic of San Marino).
The festival was attended by bands, composers, performers and famous opera singers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, America and Japan. Notably, this was the first time a Vietnamese origin composer has been invited to participate in the festival, composer Hoang Thi Kieu Anh. This is also the first time Vietnamese opera works have been performed at the Forfest Festival, by famous Japanese-Czech female artist Nao Higano.
At the performance, composer Hoang Thi Kieu Anh played the piano for artist Nao Higano to sing 12 typical Vietnamese songs. The most prominent work is inspired by the short story “The Last Leaf” by American writer O. Henry.
Ms. Zdenka Vaculovicova, President of the Forfest Festival 2017 said that she is very sympathetic and respects the culture of Vietnam - an Asian country far away, but also very close to the Czech people. The organizing board had tried to create favourable conditions for Kieu Anh and Vietnamese works to be present at the festival. She hoped Vietnamese opera works would continue to be performed at the Forfest Festivals.
Hoang Thi Kieu Anh was born in a family with a musical tradition in Thanh Hoa province. After graduating from the piano intermediate level at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, she went to study at the Slovakian Academy of Music. Over the past 20 years, she has been performing arts and teaching at art schools in in Slovakia. She is now an independent artist, performing only her musical works. Many of her works have spread widely in the Slovakian music scene.
Kieu Anh always thinks: "Despite living far away from the homeland and becoming a citizen of Slovakia, Vietnamese blood still flows in my veins."/.
BTA