Hanoi (VNA) – The world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) hasarrived in Hanoi and is ready for their March 4 night concert – the first ever bya British orchestra in Vietnam, the LSO managing director Kathryn McDowell saidat a press conference in the capital on March 3.

“It’s a huge pleasure for the LSO to come to Vietnam. As we know that we arethe first British orchestra to perform in this country, all the musicians ofthe LSO, it’s the real joy to visit your very beautiful country,” she said. 

McDowell also expressed her appreciation for the concert organisers, includingthe sponsor – national carrier Vietnam Airlines, and concert producer Thanh VietProduction.

“There is a growing link between our two countries and we are thrilled that youhave been the ones to bring the orchestra and celebrate the culture exchangebetween Great Britain and Vietnam,” McDowell said.

“That is the way we look forward to the future – by sharing our culturalexperiences together and enhance our understanding through culture,” she added. 

McDowell stressed that the LSO’s aim is to bring the greatest music to thewidest possible audiences, and here in Hanoi, the orchestra will be able toextend that idea to audiences in Vietnam.

“Each year we have a large open-air performance in Trafalgar Square in London,so this is a similar event that we hope will bring musical passion to thousandsof people in Hanoi.”

For health reason, Hong Kong-born conductor Elim Chan will not be able toconduct tonight’s performance as announced in an earlier press release.Instead, Niklas Benjamin Hoffmann – German winner of the 14th Donatella FlickLSO Conducting Competition in 2016, will take up the baton.

Attending the press conference, the 27-year-old conductor seemed shy whenspeaking with local media. He expressed his delight to be in Hanoi togetherwith the famous LSO.

Under Hoffmann’s baton, who has experience working with some of the mostimportant orchestras in Germany, including the Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, theStaatskapelle Weimar, and the Leipzig Central German Radio Symphony Orchestra,the 95-member LSO will open the concert with Vietnamese nationalanthem, Tien Quan Ca (The Marching Song) by Van Cao.

The concert will continue with the overture Festive by Russiancomposer Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich, following byinterludes Four Sea (Movements 1, 2, 4) by British BenjaminBritten.

The repertoire will also feature Symphony No 2 by Sergei VasilievichRachmaninoff, with which conductor Hoffmann won the LSO Conducting Competitionlast November.

According to the concert organiser, alongside the main stage which has been setup on Ly Thai To Square by Hoan Kiem Lake, the concert will be shown to an evenlarger audience via three 400-inch screens placed at both ends of Dinh Tien HoangStreet and in Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square. “We’ve got a fantastic set up in thesquare, a wonderful sound system, so I think everyone will be able to enjoyit,” said LSO managing director McDowell.  

Before the performance by the LSO, which will start at 7.45pm and last until9.30pm, the Hanoi-based Maius Philharmonic –Vietnam’s only private symphonyorchestra, conducted by Luu Quang Minh, will take to the stage for a 30-minuteshow.-VNA