VietNamNet Bridge – A hundred artists, promising talents of the HCM City’s Theatre Ballet and Symphony Orchestra, will regale the city with a performance celebrating 20 years of music teaching by conductor Huynh Thi Hoang Diep.

Young stars in spotlight at Autumn Gala

Inspirational: Huynh Mai Hoang Diep wields the conductor’s baton during a concert at the HCM City Music Conservatory.

The singers will perform revolutionary songs like Tieng Hat Giua Rung Pac Bo (Singing in Pac Bo Forest), Noi Lua Len Em (Light the Fire) and Du Kich Song Thao (The Guerilla in Thao River) in a cappella mode.

The songs are compositions of talented musicians Nguyen Tai Tue, Huy Du and Do Nhuan – three of the country’s leading artists in revolutionary music.

The second part will open with compositions of Mozart and Quang Hai performed by the orchestra.

Russian folk songs will be featured in the event’s third part, when the orchestra’s choral singers will perform Kalinka and Moscow Nights.

In the final part of the performance, former students of Diep – who are part of the city orchestra now, will perform extracts from popular operas Gloria, The Cats, Camina Burana composed by Vivaldi, Verdi and Webber.

The musical evening will be conducted by Diep, who has been an integral part of the nation’s classical music scene for the last 30 years.

Born into a musical family, Diep inherited her love for music from her father, People’s Artist Quang Hai, former director of the HBSO and HCM City Music Conservatory.

Graduating from the city’s Music Conservatory’s violin and choral conducting departments, Diep was sent to study at the Tchaikovsky Music Conservatory in Moscow in 1980. Ten years later, she returned home and became one of the HCM City Music Conservatory’s leading conductors and teachers. Working hard with her colleagues, she has played a major role in the development of music training since.

The former director of the conservatory’s Performance Centre has performed in many music festivals and concerts at home and abroad.

"I have spent years teaching music to different generations of students. I’m very happy about my students’ success, but I still find it hard to image them working together on stage for me alone," said Diep, who looks too slender to shoulder the duties of teacher in conducting, creativity and critiquing faculties of the HCM City Music Conservatory.

Reflecting on her career, Diep said: "I think our country’s music needs to be studied well and passed on to our youngsters. Therefore, I enjoy my work as a teacher more than being a famous artist.

"My students are my most valuable reward in life," she added.

The Government acknowledged her contributions and achievements with the Meritorious Artist award in 2007.

The celebration of Diep’s two decades of teaching will take place on two nights at 8pm on Saturday and Sunday at the HCM City Music Conservatory’s Music Hall, 112 Nguyen Du Street, District 1. Tickets can be obtained free from the conservatory.

In a moving tribute, one of her students said: "I’m grateful to Diep for passing on her love and experiences in the art of music and conducting to her students. Her lessons have opened up a new world for us."

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News