Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam National Symphony and Orchestra (VNSO) will play Vietnamese and world masterpieces at a concert at Hanoi Opera House on January 1.

The concert, entitled V-Concert: Happy New Year, will be crossover played by VNSO musicians under the baton of conductor Tetsuji Honna and guest violinist Lina Matsuda."There are many culture events including population concerts being held onholidays, but few classical concerts," said concert organiser Nguyen KimTrung, Director of the Vietnam Digital Television (VTC).

"We want to hold a high-end music show which will honour and bringsymphony music closer to audiences. We also hope V-Concert: NewYear will become annual favourite music event".

The first part will be Vietnamese pieces, opening with musician Do Kien Cuong’spiece Happy New Year. The opening piece will provide a joyfulatmosphere full of energy. The other pieces include Nguyen Dinh Long’s BaiCa Que Huong (Motherland Song) and Le Quang’s To Quoc (Fatherland).

Two folk pieces Trong Com (Cylindrical Drum) from the north ofVietnam and Mua Roi (Falling Rain) from Kho Mu ethnic are arrangedfor the orchestra by musicians Do Hong Quan and Dang Huu Phuc.

Singers Dang Duong and Dinh Trang will perform Vietnamese arias and operaextracts in the first part.

V-Concert: Happy New Year will perform world master pieces, suchas Voice of Spring by Johann Strauss II; Symphony No.5 byBeethoven; Alleluja by Mozart and others by Shostakovich, GioacchinoRossini, and Johannes Brahms.

Audiences will see a performance by violinist Matsuda. She was youngest-everfirst-prize winner at the 10th Japan Mozart Competition in 2001. Matsudacompleted the soloist diploma course at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyoand graduated at Nuremberg University of Music in 2006.

She gave her first solo recital in 1999. She has won many prizes, includingfirst prize at the 73rd Japan Music Competition; the Akiyoshidai Music AcademyAward, and 2013 Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Music Award.

Conductor Honna has performed with many orchestras including HungaryPhilharmonic States, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Brno Philharmonic Orchestraand Romanio Radio Chamber before he became principal conductor and musicdirector of VNSO.

Founded in 1959, VNSO gives almost 60 concerts a year, with a repertoireranging from classical to romantic and contemporary music. The orchestra hasperformed in the United States, Italy and Japan.

"Happy New Year concert has been being warmly received and become one ofthe most expectation events in western countries," said Nguyen Tri Dung,VNSO Director. "V-Concert: Happy New Year will be a replica ofHappy New Year concert in Viena playing Vietnamese and world masterpieces."

The concert will begin at 8pm and broadcast live on VTC.-VNA