The HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will hold a special concert next Tuesday at the HCMC Opera House to celebrate its 20th anniversary, featuring numerous local masterpieces by Vietnamese musicians.

The event, due to take place at 8 p.m. on September 9, will take music lovers on a journey through the various pitches of passion towards the country. These musical works include Tro ve dat me composed by Nguyen Van Thuong, Red Pearl by Ca Le Thuan, To quoc goi ten minh by Dinh Trung Can and Nguyen Phan Que Mai, the concerto Mien dat thieng for flute and orchestra by Nguyen Van Nam, the opera Nguoi giu con by Ca Le Thuan, Cam xuc Ben Nha Rong by Ton That Lap and Nguoi soi thay bong minh by Tran Long An.

The 20-year history, recalls HBSO’s director Tran Vuong Thach, is full of ups and downs but the orchestra has step by step built up its success among music lovers.

The first concert on September 9, 1994 directed by People’s Artist Ta Bon and Meritorious Artist Nguyen Minh Cam was seen as the cornerstone, creating an academic symphony orchestra for city music lovers with many concerts, ballets and contemporary dance shows.

“People say that it is the first step that matters and HBSO has gone through tough times in first days when there were few artists, inadequate musical instruments as well as money for programs. However, the orchestra has still kept its foothold with regular concerts for audiences,” Tran Vuong Thach recollects the rocky past.

The orchestra in the first days started off with symphony programs before bracing for concertos by famous musicians such as Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, and then followed by many worldwide famous ballets and contemporary dances.

Then came the better days when the orchestra was joined by famous local artists like pianist Ly Giai Hoa, vocalist Ta Minh Tam, clarinetist Dao Nhat Quang, choreographers Hoang Phuc Hung, Hoang Phuc Hai and violinist Bui Cong Duy. The orchestra also attracted many international gifted artists such as soprano Cho Hae Ryong, conductor Honna Tetsuji, and violinist Min Young Joo among others.

“In the first years, the concerts seemed to be for foreigners only, but now an increasing number of locals have become the orchestra’s regular audiences,” says Thach.

Its success is now internationally recognized, as HBSC has now attended many music festivals abroad.

“We have gradually showed off ourselves in many international festivals in Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysian, Singapore, Taiwan, the U.S., Belgium and France,” says head of the symphony orchestra Ta Bon.

Regarding the 20-year birthday concert, tickets are now available at the Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square in HCMC’s District 1, at prices of VND400,000, VND350,000 and VND200,000. Students just pay VND80,000 for admission.

SGT/VNN