The Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will be celebrating its 30 years of performances via back-to-back nights of concertos. Featuring works from famed European masters as well as contemporary Vietnamese composers who are bringing local appreciation to the genre, both August 25th and August 26th will revel in the elegance and versatility of concertos at the Saigon Opera House.

Concertos have a long and fascinating history that stretches back hundreds of years. First developed in the 17th century during the Baroque era, they gained prominence during the Classical period and continue to evolve today. Concertos typically feature a solo instrument or a small group of instruments as compared to a full orchestra. This arrangement allows them to indulge and showcase the creativity of composers and performers alike and are particularly well-suited to musical dialogues and musical dramas.

Early concerto innovators like Corelli and Vivaldi, relied on a small group of soloists who performed against the larger orchestra to create dynamic juxtapositions. This format gradually transitioned into the solo concerto during the Classical period, epitomized by composers like Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. These composers used concertos to highlight the technical prowess and expressive capabilities of the soloists within a structured three-movement framework.

In the Romantic era, composers like Brahms and Tchaikovsky expanded the emotional range of concertos, while the 20th century witnessed experimentation with form and timbre. Today, the concerto continues to flourish, embracing diverse musical styles and innovative orchestrations, showcasing the enduring appeal of the interplay between soloist and orchestra.

Composer Nguyễn Mạnh Duy Linh will be honored with the first performance on August 25. The Vietnamese composer received his Master's degree in composition from the Magnitogorsk Conservatory in Russia and is highly regarded for the music he composes for movies, HBSO's contemporary dance pieces and instrumental pieces for soloists and orchestras. His “Concerto Grosso No. 1 for Violin, Piano, Percussions & Strings” features six parts and highlights how concertos give prominence to different instruments at varying points, letting them contribute to a work greater than any of its individual components.

The rest of the evening will be devoted to two European composers. First up will be Max Bruch’s “Double Concerto for Violin, Viola & Orchestra in E Minor, Op. 88.” Composed in 1911, it captures both the expressive depth of the era and Bruch's melodic brilliance via the interplay between the two solo instruments and the lush orchestration. Finally, Johannes Brahms' "Double Concerto for Violin, Cello & Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 102" will further underscore the complexity found in concertos. Composed in 1887, it places solo instruments in a rich and introspective dialogue within an orchestral framework.

August 26 will begin with by ”Vietnam’s Four Seasons” for 2 Violins & Symphony Orchestra by Đặng Hồng Anh. Born in Hanoi in 1969, she received her master's degree from the National Academy of Music of the Russian Federation in 1998. She has since written solo, ensemble, symphony orchestra, vocal and choir works that have been performed across Europe, Asia and Vietnam. “Vietnam’s Four Seasons” consists of four sections true to the concerto’s name: I. Spring: Yellow Rice Harvest,  II. Summer: Barcarolle – On the Boat to Pick the Lotus, III. Autumn: A Prayer to Buddha in the Temple and IV. Winter: The Dragon’s Dance to Welcome Tết.

After intermission, Tetsuji Honna, the conductor for both evenings, will lead the musicians through Beethoven's "Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano." Composed in 1803, it is an unconventional symphonic work that diverges from the traditional concerto format by featuring three solo instruments. Through its experimental structure and captivating melodies reliant on the violin, cello and piano conversing with one another, the concerto showcases Beethoven's innovative spirit and compositional prowess while giving audiences a new understanding of concertos in general.