Music Studies
Congratulations to Doctor Nam Hoàng Nguyễn (classical pianist) for successfully defending his Music Arts thesis Solo Piano Music by Vietnamese Composers: A performative and historical perspective.
Western art music is relatively new in Vietnam, with a colonial history that started in the late nineteenth century. Early European music exposure in Vietnam was part of French mission civilisatrice and was later taken over by the Vietnamese with the establishment of the Vietnam Academy of Music in 1956. The development and progress of classical music, however, was hindered by the Vietnam war and facility limitations throughout most of the country’s modern history. Despite the obstacles, Vietnamese musicians continued to operate the school and to train generations of musicians. Vietnamese composers also managed to produce a substantial amount of repertoire in various genres: orchestra, chamber, solo instrument, songs, and more. Within the relatively small solo instrumental output, piano music occupies a major part. These works, however, remain unknown due to lack of performance and information. Given the author’s main interest and focus as a pianist, the first chapter of this paper offers an overview of the development and dissemination of European classical music in Vietnam as context for the subsequent chapters, which focuses on compositions for piano. The next chapter provides some discussion about the general development of style and aesthetics of Vietnamese classical music. The final chapter provides a closer look at some representative composers and their piano works, with historical background, musical analysis, and performance commentary.
International Conference on Safeguarding and Promotion of the Arts of Hát Xẩm in Contemporary Society
Hold the Date: December 6, 2021, 07:00 AM EST (New York)
The Viet Nam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), in cooperation with the Department of Culture & Sports of the People's Committee of Ninh Bình Province, the Center for Vietnamese Philosophy, Culture and Society of Temple University (the U.S.), the Center for Research, Preservation and Advancement of Vietnamese Folk Music (Hanoi), and the Faculty of Arts of Sàigòn University (HCM City jointly present The hybrid International Conference on Safeguarding and Promotion of the Arts of Hát Xẩm in Contemporary Society Please register here, free!
Conference Information
- Programme (check updates).
- Short intro to 喝眈 Hát Xẩm "folk songs of the blind traveling beggars."
- Submitted Abstracts (regularly updated).
Conference Schedule
December 6, 2021
07:00 AM–12:00 PM EST (New York)
- 01:30 AM: Pickup delegages from VICAS Hanoi to Ninh Bình
- 07:00 AM–08:00 AM: Hát Xẩm live performance at Hoàng Sơn Hotel, Đông Thành Ward, City of Ninh Bình, Ninh Bình Province
07:00 PM–12:00 AM EST (New York)
- 07:00 PM – 07:30 PM: Reception
- 07:30 PM – 08:10 PM: Opening Plenary
- Welcoming Performance
- Opening Remarks, Introducing delegates
- Welcoming Remarks
- Keynote Speeches
- Summary of Presentation Topics [Phát biểu đề dẫn]
08:10 PM – 09:30 PM: Concurrent Sessions (see current abstracts (English and Vietnamese)
— Session 1: Literary values, distinctive musical features, the formation and development of the arts of Hát Xẩm: Presentations
— Session 2: Safeguarding and Promotion of the Arts of Hát Xẩm: Presentations
09:30 PM – 09:45 PM: Break
09:45 PM – 11:15 PM: Concurrent Sessions Resume
— Session 1 (con't): Literary values, distinctive musical features, the formation and development of the arts of Hát Xẩm: Presentations
— Session 2 (con't): Safeguarding and Promotion of the Arts of Hát Xẩm: Presentations
11:15 PM – 12:00 AM: Closing Plenary