A special concert from the Ho Chi Minh City Music Conservatory’s symphony orchestra will grace the city this week.

The Spring Concert will feature music by three famed music composers, Quang Hai, Ca Le Thuan and Hoang Cuong, who have played a role in developing the country’s classical music.

Pianist Tuan Manh will perform a solo version of Quang Hai’s Fantasia No 1 for Piano , one of the composer’s popular works which has been performed many times by local orchestras.

Zither artist Hai Phuong will play Dat va Hoa (Earth and Flowers), a concerto for dan tranh (16-chord zither) and orchestra by People’s Artist Hai, former director of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory.

Born in Tien Giang province, Hai is a graduate of Russia ’s Saint Petersburg Conservatory. In 1975, he was the head of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Conservatory, who had worked for 23 years as the manager and teacher of the conservatory.

Hai created dozens of quality works for traditional musical instruments, such as the Concerto for T’rung and Orchestra and Concerto for Bamboo Flute and Orchestra .

He also created music for many theatre plays, movies and dances.

His works have combined traditional and western music.

Popular overtures Mua Xuan The Ky ( The Century’s Spring ) and Thac Do (Waterfall) by composer and music professor Hoang Cuong, will be featured by veteran and young artists from the conservatory’s orchestra.

Cuong refined his musical skills in Russia and Germany. In the 1970s, he was a leading violinist and worked for the biggest conservatories and music schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. He was the director of the HO CHI MINH City Music Conservatory for six years, starting in 2000.

He also created music for piano and orchestra. His best works include the Serenade for the String Orchestra and Bai Ca Thang Nam (The Song of May) for choir and orchestra.

The evening will also highlight pieces from the opera Nguoi Giu Con (The Island’s Watchman) by composer Ca Le Thuan, chairman of the city’s music association.

In the opera, Thuan combines cai luong (reformed opera) and classical music.

A graduate of the National Odessa Music Conservatory in Russia, Thuan taught music at Hanoi’s and Ho Chi Minh City’s conservatories.

The event conducted by Tran Vuong Thach will begin at 8pm on January 29 at the Ho Chi Minh City Music Conservatory, 112 Nguyen Du Street , District 1. (VNA)