Spanish musicians lift National Orchestra
17:00 22/03/2009

     

Spanish musicians started to teach students at the Ha Noi National Conservatory of Music and practise with the Ha Noi National Symphony Orchestra in early March, beginning a new co-operative project.

The project to teach music, perform and inform about Spanish culture to the Vietnamese community was signed last December, following the good co-operative results from a 2007-08 project between the conservatory and the Spanish Embassy to Viet Nam.

Spanish ambassador to Viet Nam, Soledad Fuentes, said the project aims to help improve the capabilities and performance skills of the students, teachers and artists in their quick integration with world music. Vietnamese students would have more opportunity to succeed in international music contests.

"I’ve learnt so many things during my two years here, even though I’ve been to many other countries," said Carlos Cuesta, the conductor and the project’s manager. "I’ve been eager to share my knowledge, experiences and culture with Vietnamese friends and present them with Spanish works, as well as get to know about Vietnamese works."

The project is divided into two phases. During the first phase, which began on March 10, Spanish artists including Carlos Cuesta, guitarist Jose Antonio Garcia Fuertes, flautist Julian Elvira, and trombonist Ruben Carughi teach individual and group classes at the conservatory. They also practise with the Ha Noi Symphony Orchestra.

The Spanish professors are all famous artists in their native country. From 1990 to 1995, Cuesta was official professor at the Spanish National Orchestra and has been invited to Europe, the US and Asia. From 1995 to 2002, he was official conductor of Spain’s Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra.

On Thursday at 8pm, the Ha Noi National Symphony Orchestra will perform with conductor Cuesta and Fuertes at the Ha Noi Opera House and on Friday at 8pm at the conservatory. The programme will include contemporary works by American and Spanish musicians and Symphony No 2 by renowned Russian musician Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Spanish artists will return to Viet Nam in mid December for a new concert to welcome the new year.

The second phase of the project will be implemented in May 2010 with a concert that features the great Beethoven Symphony No 9 in collaboration with the conservatory’s orchestra.

 

Source : vietnamnet.vn