Beethoven, Chopin and Grieg: three of history’s most beloved 19th Century European composers will be celebrated at the Saigon Opera House on November 11 at 8pm. To make the magical evening possible the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) is collaborating with Poland’s Mickiewicz Institut and the Warsaw Music Foundation.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in classical music. His groundbreaking compositions bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic eras. His legacy is made all the more remarkable by the fact that he was able to compose music while completely deaf during the later years of his life.

The evening at the Saigon Opera House will begin with Beethoven’s Symphony No.1 in C Major, op. 21. Composed and premiered in 1880, the piece marks his early foray into symphonic composition. Often referred to as "Beethoven's First Symphony," it showcases his ability to innovate classical forms which he would spend the rest of his career perfecting.

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), born in Poland, was a virtuoso pianist and composer known for his emotionally rich and expressive piano compositions. While particularly beloved in his home country, Chopin’s music is celebrated worldwide for its lyrical beauty and innovation within the Romantic period. Often characterized by poignant melodies and intricate ornamentation, his music continues to have a profound impact on countless pianists and composers today.

The second piece of the evening will be Chopin’s Polish Fantasy for piano and orchestra. Written between 1828 and 1830, Chopin himself referred to it as his "Potpourri on Polish themes," and performed it for many years after its debut. Its first and third themes are based on popular Polish folk songs while the second is adapted from an Opera by his Polish friend, Karol Kurpiński.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), a Norwegian composer, is renowned for his nationalistic compositions that drew inspiration from folk music and Norwegian landscapes. Grieg's works, deeply rooted in Norwegian culture, are cherished for their ability to evoke the breathtaking fjords, mountains, coasts and fields of his rural homeland.

After an intermission, the night concludes with Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 16. Composed in 1868, it showcases Grieg's deep connection to Norwegian folk music and landscapes, with Romantic melodies that evoke the grandeur of his homeland. Written when he was only 25 and a struggling unknown, it remains his most ambitious and celebrated work.

In addition to the music from Chopin, Poland will have a prominent place in the evening thanks to pianist Joanna Marcinkowska and conductor Wojciech Czepiel. A lecturer at the Department of the Pianoforte of the Academy in Poland, Marcinkowska is a leading pianist in her nation and the winner of numerous awards. She has toured Europe, America and Asia and will perform the central elements for the Chopin and Grieg pieces. Meanwhile, Czepiel is an accomplished conductor and composer. In addition to leading orchestras worldwide, including as director of the Lebanese National Philharmonic in Beirut from 2000 to 2013, he has written numerous symphonies and orchestra pieces for classical instruments with a strong preference for preserving Polish styles.