Lifestyle

The Soulful Sounds of Vietnam: A Berlin Concert Experience

For the very first time, a German chamber choir graced the stage of the iconic Berliner Philharmonie, enchanting audiences with a captivating performance of beloved Vietnamese folk songs. This historic concert brought to life the rich cultural heritage of Vietnam, showcasing the beauty and diversity of its traditional music to the world.

Administrator

28 May, 2024

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The Berlin-Hanoi 2023 music project culminated in a remarkable event, masterfully directed by the German chamber choir Lichtenberger Piekfeine Töne. This cross-cultural collaboration was led by conductor Katrin Hübner from Germany, alongside renowned Vietnamese traditional music artists Tran Phuong Hoa and Le Manh Hung. Together, they wove a musical tapestry, blending Vietnamese folk songs with German and international works, performed in a variety of languages.

For this unique occasion, beloved Vietnamese folk songs such as “Cay Truc Xinh,” “Qua Cau Gio Bay,” “Beo Dat May Troi,” and “Ngua O Thuong Nho” were specially arranged for the choir by a talented team of musicians. Professor-composer Dang Ngoc Long, composer Jezzy Da Lam Huong Thao Nguyen, and conductor Katrin Hübner combined their expertise to transform these familiar melodies into harmonious choral pieces.

The concert also showcased a rare and captivating fusion of traditional Vietnamese instruments played by artists Tran Phuong Hoa and Le Manh Hung, accompanied by over 100 voices from three Berlin choirs. This blend of classical four-part choral singing with traditional instruments created an enchanting musical experience. The carefully arranged pieces came to life through the male and female vocalists from Berlin.

Vietnamese music has graced Berlin’s stages on previous occasions. As early as 1998, a traditional Vietnamese concert echoed within Berlin City Hall, followed by performances at the House of Cultures of the World in 2000. In 2001, Vietnamese traditional music found a special place in the heart of the Beethoven Haus in Bonn. Furthermore, since 2007, Berlin’s public music schools have permanently included Vietnamese traditional instruments in their curricula, fostering a continuous cultural exchange.

This artistic dialogue continued in 2014 with the opera “Con Rong, Chau Tien,” which blended Vietnamese instruments with the Bremen chamber symphony orchestra. The success of this fusion culminated in a performance at the German Presidential Palace in Berlin in 2015. Most recently, in 2022, the choir of the Max Planck Gymnasium Berlin further strengthened the cultural bond by presenting well-known Vietnamese works, showcasing the enduring connection between our musical traditions.