Art & Entertainment News in Brief Noo Phuoc Thinh continues to become 2015 Japan tourism embassador The Japan Tourism Authority said Vietnamese singer Noo Phuoc Thinh has completed extremely his role as the 2014 Japan tourism embassador. He has ever released his MV to promote the tourism of OSAKA city. This year, Noo will continue his mission to introduce ancient city Kanazawa in Japan. Last month, Noo toured to Kanazawa to learn about the city’s tourism and completed his MV to promote Japan’s landscapes, traditional culture and tourism. Around 120,000 Vietnamese visited Japan last year, an increase of 50 percent compared to 2013. This year, Japan expects to attract over 200,000 Vietnamese vistors. Preparations for Nguyen Hue Flower Street to be kicked off next January   The preparations for the annual Nguyen Hue Flower Street festival will be kicked off on December 17-27 of the lunar calendar (on January 26-February 5, 2016). This year’s event themed “Peace, Prosperity and Development” will present to the public the City’s most spectacular display of fresh flowers, which will be officially opened on February 2-13. The much awaited annual flower show is one of the events receiving the highest expectations of the public.The event is aimed to highlight of Tet culture in Ho Chi Minh City and has been held for 12 consecutive years and attracted more than one million visitors each year. The art lighting system on Nguyen Hue Boulevard celebrating New Year 2016 and Tet holidays will take place from December 19, 2015 -January 5, 2016 and January 27-February 20, 2016 respectively. The art lighting system will be also decorated on main streets in districts 6 and 11, including Hau Giang, Minh Phung, Thap Muoi, Cao Van Lau, Le Dai Hanh, Au Co, Nguyen Thi Nho. Vietnam attends Moscow’s major fundraising event Vietnam’s handicrafts and cuisine attracted attention at the 2015 IWC Winter Bazaar, an annual fundraising event held by the International Women’s Club of Moscow (IWC), at Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel in Moscow, Russia on November 28. Spouses of diplomats and officials from 65 embassies and international organisations in Moscow brought to the event a variety of handicrafts, signature items and traditional cuisine. The 2015 IWC Winter Bazaar is known as the largest charity event on the eve of Christmas in Moscow. Last year, it attracted about 3,500 visitors alongside 600 volunteers and sponsors and raised more than 7 million RUB for charity projects. Culture, tourism week honours poet Nguyen Du A culture and tourism week in memory of UNESCO-recognised World Cultural Celebrity Nguyen Du was opened in his father’s hometown – Nghi Xuan district, the central province of Ha Tinh, on November 28. The week is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 250th birth anniversary of the great poet (1765 – 1820). Opening the event, Chairman of Nghi Xuan People’s Committee Nguyen Hai Nam said the district is proud to be the homeland of Nguyen Du, whose outstanding works including “Truyen Kieu” (The Tale of Kieu) have brought fame to the land. During the culture and tourism week, an exhibition hall on the literary heritage of Nguyen Du and “Truyen Kieu” will be inaugurated, and an amateur folk singing festival of the north central coast and Red River Delta regions will be held. Notably, a grand ceremony commemorating the poet will be held on December 5 – the last day of the week. Nguyen Du, also known as To Nhu or Thanh Hien, was recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Celebrity at its 37th General Conference session in Paris in 2013. In 1965, he was also honoured as a world cultural celebrity by the World Peace Council along with eight others for his devotion to Vietnamese literature and the world’s culture. “Truyen Kieu”, his most influential work, is a 3,254-line classic verse novel written in "luc bat", the form that consists of alternating lines of six and eight syllables, a traditional verse form of Vietnam's poetry. Kieu's story is vastly popular in Vietnam; many people know the epic by heart and it has been translated into 20 different languages including French, Chinese, English, Russian and Japanese. The 250th birth anniversary of Nguyen Du is being observed at the national level as decided by the Party Secretariat in August 2014. A series of free outdoor concert back to Hanoi The 4th season of the free outdoor music show titled “LUALA concert” is taking place in Hanoi. The performances are organized in front of the Luala Milato Hno store at 61 Ly Thai To Street, at 3 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday every week. LUALA concert 2015 features young and experienced artists of the Hanoi Chamber Orchestra, such as pianist Ngo Phuong Vi, oboist Nguyen Hoang Tung, opera singer Vo Hong Quan, pianist Boomi Jang from the Republic of Korea, and Japanese harpist Aya Matsumoto. The event will give audiences an opportunity to enjoy classical music performed by professional. The LUALA concert  is co-organized by DX Corporation, the Music Publishing House, and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra(VNSO) and lasts till December 13. The first show was launched in November, 2011 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hanoi Opera House. VNS/SGGP/VNA/VOV

WHAT'S ON DECEMBER 1-15 (DAILY UPDATE) Performance of Classic Ballet “The Nutcracker” 10 and 11 Dec 2015, 8 pm Hanoi Opera House 1 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội Come to performance of classic ballet “The Nutcracker” at Hanoi Opera House with: – Artistic Director: People’s Artist Pham Anh Phuong – Music: Piotr Illich Tchaikovski – Choreography: Philippe Cohen – Stage director: Philippe Lormeau – Lighting: Reynald Bureau – Costumes: Mary Payne Nguyen – Costumes made by: La Hang With 50 dancers of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet The School of Vietnam. Performers: Clara: Chuc Quynh Casse – Noisette Han Giang (the Puppet) The Fairy: Thu Lan The Prince: Nguyen Manh Hung The Pricess of Forest: Huong Quynh The Friends of the Prince: Quang Hung – Anh Duc Spanish dance: Quoc Tuan – Minh Ha Arabian dance: Kieu Ngan – Tran Ngoc Hien The Clowns: Thai Son – Ngoc Truong Russian dance: Tuan Anh – Hoang Diep – Minh Thong French dance: Ngo Huong – Tuyet Dung – Hai Minh and others dancers of the VNOB and the Dance School of Vietnam. Tickets: Ticket prices: 250,000 – 400,000 – 600,000 VND. All tickets available at Hanoi Opera House or can book online at ticketvn.com. For free delivery Call: 0913489858, 0983067996. HCMC – Concert “Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5” Wed 09 Dec 2015, 8 pm HCMC Opera House No. 7 Lam Son Square, D.1, HCMC You are invited to the special concert “Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5” with the participation of 3 talents from the Goyang Philharmonic, South Korea. – Conductor: An Hyun Sung – Flutist: Ban Jin A – Violist: Tran Huu Quoc And HCMC Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera PROGRAM PART I Giuseppe Verdi: Overture from the opera “La forza del destino” Carl Reinecke: Flute Concerto in D Major, Op. 283 – Flute: Ban Jin A Henry Vieuxtemps: Fantasia appassionata, Op. 35 – Violin: Tran Huu Quoc PART II Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 Symphony No. 5 and Symphony No. 6 are ranked among the most popular compositions of Tchaikovsky, who is well known not only as one of the most famous composers   of Russia, but also as one of the most prominent author in the worldwide music scene. Featuring beautiful melody, impressive harmony, Tchaikovsky’s music enchanted the   audience through the generations and continues to be performed in any theater. Symphony No. 5 by Tchaikovsky will be performed in the second part of the event. TICKETS Ticket price: 550,000 – 400,000 – 350,000 – 200,000 – 80,000 VND (for students only) Booking and delivery: 08 38237419, Ms. Huong: 0989874517, Ms.Huong Ly: 0908057972 At HCMC Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square Online Booking: www.ticketbox.vn Charity Run “Run for Heart 2015” Sun 06 Dec 2015, 7 am Yen So Park Km 1.5 Phap Van Str., Hoang Mai Dist., Hanoi At 7.00 am, on Sunday, December 6th, Charity Run “Run for hearts 2015” will be officially organized at Yen So Park to raise fund for heart operation of poor children, who suffer from congenital heart diseases all over the country. Following the success of “Run for hearts 2015” in HCMC, the charity run will be held at Yen So Park in Hanoi. This special run is expected to welcome about 10,000 people to join in and raise fund over 1 billion dong to save poor children who are badly in need of heart operation. This charity run at Yen So Park will be attended by the presence of the Ambassador of Heart Beat Vietnam Fund – 365 band and other famous singers such as Duy Khoa, Tran Lap, Minh Vuong, Quynh Nga, Thuy Trang; the Golden Ball 2008 Ngoc Tram; Master Chef 2014 Minh Nhat; actress Ngoc Thanh Tam and other famous artists. With almost 3-km running track, runners will enjoy charity activities and the running within lush greenery and lakes of Yen So Park which will make it an memorable day. According to the Association of Cardiac Pediatrics and congenital heart disease, every year Vietnam has about 10,000 children born with heart defects. 50% of children need special medical treatment to maintain the life. Many of them have faced with serious cases as lack of timely medical care due to extremely high medical costs compared to their family income of their families. The fundraising is rooted from sponsorship and registration fee. Each and every individual who attends the “Run for hearts 2015”, will donate VND 100,000 for the fund and receive a special T-shirt. All proceeds of this fundraising will go towards Heart Beat Vietnam Fund. For online donation and registration, please follow this link or call at hotline: 04 3944 98 98. International Literary Translation Contest “Close Approximations”: Call for Submissions Deadline: 15 Dec 2015 Result announcement date: 15 April 2016 Fantastic news for emerging translators all over the world: “Close Approximations,” Asymptote’s journal hugely popular translation contest, is back! Open to translators at the beginning of their careers, this contest invites translations in three genres: poetry, fiction, and—a new category this year—literary nonfiction. How to participate Submit between 5 to 10 pages of translated poetry or between 10 to 25 pages of translated fiction or nonfiction via the ‘Contest’ option of Asymtote’s Submittable page, in the appropriate category. Prizes – The winner and runner-up of each category will walk away with 1,000 USD and 500 USD respectively. – In addition, they will also be featured in the Asymptote April 2016 issue, joining an exceptional roster of translators published in our pages. For more information and application form please visit the organizer’s website. Hue – Film Screening “Pas son Genre” Fri 04 Dec 2015, 7.15 pm Institut français de Huế 01 Le Hong Phong, Hue You are invited to the film screening “Not My Type” (France, 2014, 111 mins). Director: Lucas Belvaux Cast: Emilie Dequenne, Loïc Corbery, Sandra Nkake A romantic love story between a philosophy professor and a barber who is a huge fan of Jennifer Aniston in a small town. Language: Original language with Vietnamese subtitles. For more information about synopsis, please refer to Vietnamese version of this post. Free entrance. HN & HCMC – Dance Drama “Promise to 800” HCMC: Tue 01 Dec 2015, 7.30 pm HCMC Opera House — Hanoi: Fri 04 Dec 2015, 7.30 pm Au Co Theater You are invited to Dance Drama “Promise to 800” in Hanoi and HCMC. A.D. 1226. Lý Long Tường, the last prince of Ly’s Dynasty of Vietnam, escaped from rebellion and had to sailed on the distant sea route. At the end of a long voyage, he came to Ongjin land of Korean Peninsula (Goryeo Nation, at that time). Over 800 years until now, there are about 2,000 descendants of Ly Dynasty living in Korea. Basing on this meaningful story, “Promise to 800” was born of Stage Director – Mr. Jung Sun Goo’s script and Dancer – Mrs. Chun Yoo Oh’s choreography. This drama dance is motivated with many new artistic languages, enhanced artistic creative power, harmonized by dancing, drama and live music genre. The life of Ly dynasty’s last prince named Ly Long Tuong (Korean name 이용상) will be presented on stage with tittle “Promise to 800” by a Korean dancer, a Vietnamese drama actor and a Germany musician. Tickets In HCMC, free tickets available at: – HBSO ticket box, Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square, District 1, HCMC. Phone: 08 38237419 – Student Assistance Center of Ho Chi Minh City, 33 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, HCMC. Phone: 08.38277981    HCMC Opera House No. 7 Lam Son Square, D.1, HCMC    Au Co Theater No 8 Huynh Thuc Khang, Hanoi Mui Ne Music and Arts Festival 04 – 06 Dec 2015, 7 am – 11.30 pm Mui Ne, Binh Thuan 3 Days, 3 Stages, One Love. The combined forces of some of the best party producers in Saigon are headed to the beach for three days of non-stop fun. The organizer is taking over a beautiful Mui Ne hillside with panoramic views of the Mui Ne bay and fishing fleet. The festival will be open from late afternoon until midnight each day. Then we will party until the sun comes up with joint effort after parties each night at Mui Ne’s finest clubs… Dragon Beach, Pogo and Line Up. °°°° Main Stage °°°° The Main Stage features the best of Vietnam’s original live music artists and a selection of international headline guests each evening. Perfume Genius has been announced as the Sunday night headliner with Friday and Saturday announcements to come. Confirmed so far: + Perfume Genius (Sunday headline) + Gen + Wild Salmon + James & The Van Der Beeks + Mekong Delta Force + Phil Holmes + CoCC + Masia One & The Irietones + Night Breeze Control + LG Trio + Background ALLstars + Red Amity + Seighart More artists including Fri & Sat headliners will be announced soon. °°°°° Reggae Stage °°°°° More than 20 DJs will play the full range of Roots Reggae / New Roots / Digital / Dancehall / Dub / Dubstep / Drum n Bass / Jungle / Chill & Experimental / Bass & Trap sounds. Get ready for 3 days of wicked outdoor vibes! Reggae Stage Line Up: + Jase Nguyen + Dan – Lo + K – One + General Knappe + Selecta Morgan + Selecta Ivy + Skulz + King Cargo + Sonar Lee + Akihito + Slowbirds + Nori Nori + Cheezy Gangztaz + KCM + Kaztet D + Arlo More artists will be announced soon. °°°° Dance Stage °°°° Dance Stage Line Up: + Franz Underwear (Slow Motion Records, Wrong Era – BERLIN) + Nic Ford (MadderModes, The Observatory – UK) + DeeJay Konka (FR, IBIZA) + Jimmy Ladd (Movement, SWP – UK) + Dsane (Monasterio – RU) + Darrell Johnston (Life Festival – IRE) + Noches (The Future – ESP) + Dan Lo (Eclectic Aesthetic – HCMC) + Josa (Amsterdam NL/UK) TICKETS Ticket price: 200,000 – 450,000 VND Tickets on sale at ticketbox. Transport and Accommodation deals are available. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Fri 04 Dec 2015, from 6 pm Pullman Hanoi Hotel 40 Cat Linh Str, Hanoi To start a joyful festive season 2015, come to join an event for family, friend, loved ones to share memorable moments together, a “Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony”. The children will be the centre of the ceremony by having a Santa Claus appearing with many gifts. Not only that, a surprise present from our Santa Claus sure will bring joy to all participants. To create a warm atmosphere against the cold weather outside, the Christmas signature traditional Gluhwein (warm red wine with cinnamon and dried fruits) and light seasonal snacks in Pullman style will be served. The unique Up-side-down Christmas tree will gradually be lighted up in the Christmas melodies of the saxophone. Entry Pass (invitation) is for everyone and limited. Please dial +84 4 3733 0688 to register as soon as possible. Subscription Concert Vol. 86 03 and 04 Dec 2015, 8 pm Hanoi Opera House 1 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội You are invited to Subscription Concert Vol.86 with: – Conductor: Abe Kanako – Piano Soloist: Hagiwara Mami and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra Program: Lê Bằng Poem Symphony “Dòng chảy nghìn năm/ Flow of A Thousand Year” Saint Saens Piano Concerto no.5 “Egyptian” in F major, Op. 103 Interval Claude Debussy Prelude a’ l’Apre’s-midi d’un faune Maurice Ravel “Daphnis et Chloe” Suite no.2 Vietnam Premiere Tickets: Ticket prices: 200,000 – 350,000 – 500,000 VND. All tickets available at Hanoi Opera House or can book online at vnso.org.vn. For free delivery, call: 0913489858, 0983067996. Exhibition “Direction” by Artist Nguyen Duong at Dong Phong Gallery Exhibition: 17 Nov – 12 Dec 2015, 9.30 am – 6.30 pm Dong Phong Art Gallery 03 Ly Dao Thanh Street Dong Phong Art Gallery is pleased to present “Direction”, the first solo exhibition by young Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thuy Duong. He was born in 1981 and graduated from   Hanoi Fine Arts University in 2007 and is currently working as a freelance artist. This is the first time he presents his artworks to the public. Exhibition Direction by Artist Nguyen Duong The image of a little girl with red scarf covered her eyes and standing slanting in the lay-out of the painting gives us the feeling of dullness, loneliness, scare, timidity, flying into the orientation of the soul value’s existence… Deadlock in freedom when we are on the way to find the essence of life… Which way is suitable to us… ? Turn left or turn right… ? Flee or face…? Go straight or stay still…? Accepted? Mercy? Everything can be closed or open? Such disorientation is just like a game that the artist is searching for. Welcome to the exhibition to see paintings by a new artist unveiled. Christmas Concert “Sounds for the Season” 04 and 05 Dec 2015, 7.30 pm St. Paul’s Convent Chapel 4 Ton Duc Thang, District 1, HCMC Come to annual Christmas concert of The International Choir and Orchestra of Ho Chi Minh City featuring all of your favorite carols and songs. Also featured will be Hodie Christus Natus Est by Palestrina, and Francesco Durante’s beautiful Magnificat. Especially this year, for the first time, we will perform one Vietnamese language Christmas carol (originally composed in Vietnamese during the ’40s-’50s). No tickets are required, seating is on first come first serve basis. For good seating, audience should be arriving 30 minutes prior to concert start. Entry is by donation, all proceeds will go to our two charity programs: Loreto Australia and Poussières de Vie. Concert “Ludwig van Beethoven” at Goethe Institut in December Thu 03 Dec 2015, 8 pm Goethe-Institut Hanoi 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi This year, on the 245th birthday of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, the Goethe-Institut presents a four-part concert series at the Goethe-Institut Hanoi. The ten sonatas for violin and piano will be performed by the renowned musicians Nguyen My Huong and Dao Trong Tuyen. For the last concert of the Beethoven cycle, which the Goethe-Institut presented in honour of the great composer this autumn, musicians Nguyen My Huong and Dao Trung Tuyen will finish the cycle with sonatas No. 6 and 9. The latter also carries the name “Kreutzer Sonata”, after the French virtuoso violinist Rudolphe Kreutzer. Originally however, the sonata was dedicated to violinist George Bridgetower, with whom Beethoven played the debut performance in 1803. Legend has it that the two men quarreled over a woman, whereupon Beethoven subsequently changed the dedication to Kreutzer. Who knows whether it was the music or rather the dramatic story that inspired Leo Tolstoi to his novella “The Kreutzer Sonata” in 1887… Beethoven has brought the Classical form to its highest expressive level and he is considered as a pioneer of Romanticism. With his sonatas for violin, composed between 1797 and 1812, he created an extraordinary musical cycle, which can, for the first time, be experienced in Hanoi in full length. Even more strongly than before, the violin appears as an equal instrument next to the piano in the “Kreutzer Sonata”. His contemporaries were surprised at the novel kind of composition, which they perceived as anarchic and wild. Experiencing these creations live is a very special opportunity for all music lovers. PROGRAM – Sonata No. 6 in A major, Opus 30 – Sonata No. 9 in A major, Opus 47 Nguyen My Huong studied at Hanoi Art School, Vietnam National Academy of Music with Professor Ngo Van Thanh as well as at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz with Professor Thomas Zehetmair. Among other prices she has been awarded with the “Youth Talent Award”. As a member of the Asian Youth Orchestra and the   PMF Orchestra she played many concerts abroad and also took part in training courses in Japan, China, Germany, Austria and the USA. Currently, Nguyen My Huong works as a soloist in chamber music concerts with Vietnamese and foreign counterparts. She is second violin principal in the National Symphony Orchestra and teaches at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. Moreover, she has received an offer to be concertmaster in Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra. Dao Trong Tuyen studied with several prestigious piano teachers such as Hoang Vinh Huong, Hoang Hoa, Joel Pasquier, Professor Tran Thu Ha and Professor Đặng Thái Sơn. In 2007, he completed his Doctorate of Music in Piano Performance at the University of Montreal in Canada. Dao Trong Tuyen won the first prize in the National piano competition in 1990 and he has played concerts in Canada, France and Japan. He has recorded a large number of works for Vietnam National Television and Vietnam National Radio. He has also performed as a soloist with major orchestras in Vietnam such as Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra and Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Orchestra. At present, Dao Trong Tuyen is a piano teacher at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. Due to the limited number of seats we kindly ask only visitors from the age of 12 and up to come. Tickets for 03.12.2015 are available starting Thursday, 26 November, 9 am at Goethe-Institut Hanoi. Solo Exhibition “White, Black & Gold” by Le Hoang Bich Phuong Opening: Fri 04 Dec 2015, 10 am Exhibition: 04 – 25 Dec 2015, 9 am – 6 pm Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam 27 Quang Trung Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội The Japan Foundation Center for cultural exchange in Vietnam, proudly hosts an art exhibition by Le Hoang Bich Phuong “White, Black & Gold” in Hanoi from 4 December to 25 December 2015. Le Hoang Bich Phuong is a Ho Chi Minh City based young artist who was awarded an artist-in-residence at S-AIR in Sapporo City, Japan, through the “JENESYS Invitation Program for Creators” operated by the Japan Foundation. She had her first silk painting solo exhibition titled “A transformative disguise” in 2012 in Hanoi and HCMC supported by the Japan Foundation and San Art. In 2015, she comes up with “White, Black & Gold” with a new material, ceramic. Since graduation, Phuong has always been attracted to traditional techniques. This project is a new experiment – a combination of her ideas and an innovative Vietnamese craft technique, a departure from silk painting. All artworks will be made of glass and ceramic, and are hand-made. This is done entirely with the support from the talented artisans of Bat Trang ceramic village. Through this project, it is her goal that these pieces will recall Vietnamese traditional art crafts that are now faded by modernizing trends in Vietnam. In this exhibition a series of installations in ceramic will be divided into three spaces with three art works, representing her dreams or ours. People are constantly compelled by an unidentified urge to fulfill their dreams, and likewise gain greater access to life’s blessings. They struggle and evolve in an effort to reach these dreams, to reach this end. To Phuong, all of us are as random as the creation of planets. Born, then strung together in a cluster like a galaxy, an asymmetrical chain. Following our creation, we are impacted and influenced by each other. Like asteroids, actions create sequences we can at times anticipate. Other impacts set in motion unintended consequences. We seek and chase the broader spaces. We pay no mind to the effects they may cause surrounding planets. Somehow, we deviate from the universal system of order. Our path breeds jealousy, as we seek greener pastures just over the horizon. It is her belief that peaceful consciousness instills order. It is in fact our forgotten promised land – abandoned in pursuit of meandering dreams. ARTIST’S PROFILE Le Hoang Bich Phuong (b. 1984, Ho Chi Minh City) is one of Vietnam’s most promising young artists whose study of Vietnamese and Japanese silk painting traditions has greatly influenced her own unique style and technique. Influenced by the ukiyo-e tradition, while also drawn to the popular world of the comic, Bich Phuong’s strong command of line and color creates an ethereal, near surreal presence. A graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University, she was awarded an artist-in-residence in Sapporo, Japan, as part of the “JENESYS Program: Invitation Program for Creators” of the Japan Foundation in 2011 and that same year was also one of the finalists for the DOGMA Art Prize in self-portraiture. In 2010 she was finalist in the “Talent Prize” of the Cultural Development and Exchange Fund. Recent exhibitions include: – Sapporo Biennale 2011, Sapporo, Japan, 2011 – “Shaping a line”, San Art, HCMC, Vietnam, 2011 – “Saigon Contemporary”, La Lanta Fine Art Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand, 2011 – “A transformative disguise”, San Art, HCMC, Vietnam, 2012 and The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, Hanoi, 2012 Admission free. Happy Birthday, Beethoven 3 December To celebrate the 245th birthday of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, musicians Nguyen My Huong and Dao Trung Tuyen will perform some of his piano and violin sonatas at the Goethe-Institut Hanoi. 8 p.m. 3 December: Sonata No. 6 in A major, Opus 30; and Sonata No. 9 in A major, Opus 47 Free tickets are available from 14 September at Goethe-Institut Hanoi, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, Ba Dinh Dist., Hanoi. Tel: (04) 3734-2251 Midnight sun 10 December Axwell & Ingorosso from Sweden will perform and promote their album ‘Sun Is Shining’ at Long Island Castle on 10 December. The band was established in 2014. The event will also include performances by local and international artists. Long Island Castle, 173 Long Thuan, Long Phuoc Ward, Dist.9, Ho Chi Minh City. Tickets start from VND1,450,000. Book tickets at www.ticketbox.vn King of Trance 13 December Armin Van Buuren is the most recognizable DJ around the globe. He was crowned the World’s Number 1 DJ four years consecutively by DJMag. He has also been dubbed ‘the King of Trance’. He will perform in Vietnam for the first time on 13 December, from 4 p.m. till midnight, at Ecopark Township, Xuan Quan, Van Giang District, Hung Yen City. Ticket: VND750,000-VND17,500,000. Book tickets at www.ticketbox.vn Beethoven’s Ninth 19 December A special concert ‘Beethoven No.9’ will be held at 8 p.m. 19 December at Hanoi Opera House, 1 Trang Tien St, Hanoi. The concert will be conducted by Honna Tetsuji, accompanied by soprano Ha Pham Thang Long, alto Nguyen Thu Quynh, tenor Nguyen Anh Vu, bassist Fukushima Akiya and artists from Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, Hanoi International Choir, Hanoi Freude Choir. The show will play symphony No.9 in D minor, op.125 ‘Choral’. Tickets: VND200,000, VND350,000, VND500,000. All tickets are available at Hanoi Opera House or book at www.ticketvn.comfor free delivery. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5 9 December Guest artists from Goyang Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor An Hyun Sung, flutist Ban Jin A, violin Tran Huu Quoc and artists from HBSO Symphony Orchestra will perform ‘Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 5’ at 8 p.m. 9 December at Opera House, 7 Cong Truong Lam Son, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City. Tickets: VND200,000 to VND550,000. Online booking at www.ticketbox.vnfor free delivery The Wave 10 December The Wave Music Festival will be held at 3 p.m. on 10 December at Tan Trao, Phu My Hung, Dist.7, Ho Chi Minh City. The event will feature many DJs, especially the participation of DJ SNAKE, who is famous for the hit ‘Turn Down For What’. Tickets from VND399,000. Book tickets at www.ticketbox.vn Unfinished Symphony 19 December A concert ‘Unfinished Symphony’ will be held at 8 p.m. 19 December at Opera House, with the performance of conductor Tran Vuong Thach, pianist Joo Eun Young, soprano Cho Hae Ryong and artists from HBSO Symphony Orchestra. The programme has two parts. Part 1: ‘Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor, op.18’ by Sergei Rachmaninov. Part 2: ‘Rosamunde’, ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘Symphony No.8 in B Minor, D.759’ (‘Unfinished’) by Franz Schubert, and ‘Il Bacio’ by Luigi Arditi. Exhibition “Far in the North” by Ha Manh Thang Opening: Wed 02 Dec 2015, 6 pm Exhibition: 02 – 31 Dec 2015 L’Espace 24 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội You are invited to painting exhibition “Far in the North” and the selection of Ha Manh Thang during the period of 2012-2015. In a remote part of his subconscious, there is a place which Ha Manh Thang called “North”, a place where a blue-gray tint still remains, blending into twilight, which he believes is the far north… “Far in the North” is one part of the series “Vietnam’s landscape” that Ha Manh Thang has been working on for the last 3 years. The series is mainly centered on the temples and pagodas of North Vietnam. However, the background of reality in this new series has totally disappeared and he only painted the temples and pagodas in the Northern countryside areas of Vietnam based on their architectural drawings and a bit of real context that has been left on them. Previous exhibitions by Ha Manh Thang: – Exhibition “Winter Hues” in Hanoi (2015) – Exhibition “Khói sóng” tại TP. HCM (2015) – Exhibition ““Fading Dreams – Disintegrating Realities”” tại Thái Lan (2014) – Exhibition “Hevean Is A Place” tại TP. HCM (2013) Pop-rock Concert with La Grande Sophie 20:00, 12/12/2015 L’Espace 24 Tràng Tiền, Hà Nội You are invited to the pop-rock concert with La Grande Sophie. Invited in 2013 to celebrate French year in Vietnam, La Grande Sophie was not able to give the expected concert in Hanoi, but it became the title of one of her new songs in the album released in France in Fall 2015… As promised, this outstanding singer of French pop-rock scene has come back to L’Espace with guest Le Cat Trong Ly! A concert not to be missed! TICKETS Ticket price: 160,000 VND Special price for members of L’Espace and students: 80,000 VND Tickets are available at L’Espace. Christmas Concert 2015 Fri 04 Dec 2015, 8 pm Goethe Institut 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Ba Dinh, Hanoi — Sat 05 Dec 2015, 7 pm Opera House Haiphong Christmas – time of reflection and family gathering. On this special occasion, the Goethe-Institut cordially invites you to two traditional Christmas concerts in Hanoi and Haiphong to celebrate a successful year of 2015 together with our students, graduates, staff and all our friends. Compositions by Georg Friedrich Händel and Johann Sebastian Bach, as well as popular Christmas songs to sing along will carry us into a magical world of Christmas. Similar to the previous years, we will be joined by the Vietnam Bamboo Ensemble Suc Song Moi, the International Choir Hanoi, a chamber orchestra, and numerous other artists. See Christmas Concert Programme In Hanoi: Free admission ART for YOU back in Hanoi 03 – 07 Dec 2015, 10 am – 8 pm Manzi Art Space 14 Phan Huy Ich, Hanoi We did it here… then we did it there. Now we are here again. After a successful ART for YOU HCMC (thanks again for such a warm welcome!), we are very happy to back on home turf. ART for YOU YOU YOU our beloved Ha Noi! ART for YOU once again showing at the serene and superb Manzi Art Space from Thursday 3rd to Monday 7th of December, 10AM to 8PM daily. Sketches, prints, paintings, photographs, sculpture, oddities and incongruities. A chance to enjoy and support the artistic endeavors of those who chose to create a more beautiful and engaging world. All hail… THE ARTISTS. FREE ENTRANCE. HCMC – Melting Pot 7: Art & Music Festival 05 and 06 Dec 2015 Saigon Outcast 188/1 Nguyen Van Huong, Thao Dien, Dist 2, HCMC We are happy to announce that Melting Pot is back with a different spin this year! For those who don’t know, Melting Pot is an Art and Music Festival that aims to raise funds for charities such as Saigon Children’s Charity and other projects for local children in District 2. The Melting Pot stage is a platform for local talent where professional and amateur artists are invited to exhibit their works in music, dance, poetry, art, cooking and more! We will have an action-packed weekend for all of you with surprising entertainment and exhibitions from the talented artists of Vietnam. This festival’s lineup focuses on local Vietnamese talent. We have some RAP, DANCE, LIVE BANDS, LIVE DRAMA, ACOUSTIC COVERS AND MORE! FULL LINEUP WILL BE POSTED HERE SOON! Please stay tuned for more information. For now, mark your calendars because Melting Pot 7 is coming your way on the 5th and 6th of December! LINEUP DAY 1 Quy | Live Solo Ngan Tieu | Live Solo Wild Card | Live Duo Datmaniac | Live Rap Jase | DJ Set XOI | Live Band | Hardcore Vietnam Knife Sticking Head | Live Band | Hardcore Vietnam 9th Dimension | Live Band | Young Guns Records Bui Gio | Live Band | Young Guns Records Suboi | Live Performance Duy Tuan | DJ Set Maraphoria & Starchild | DJ Set DAY 2 Ngu Nam | Poetry Reading Lang Kinh | Live Drama Saigon Children’s Charity | Presentation Tung Tim | DJ Set Saigonlag | DJ & MC #HappiZoo | Live Band House of Skarlet | Live Dance Emily Navarra | Live Dance X-CLOWN | Live Dance Javana | Live Band Hazard Clique | Live Performance Slo-Lo | DJ Set Maraphoria & Starchild | DJ Set Tickets 1 Day Pass: 80K at the door Promo Pre-Sale: 100K for 2 Day Pass (Saturday and Sunday) (You can buy Pre-Sale at Saigon Outcast or sms 0907600897 to pick up in District 3) Manganergy Workshop Thu 03 Dec 2015, 7.30 – 9.30 pm The Black Box 56 Nguyen Khuyen, Hanoi Have you been scratching your head to find out how to be more creative? Do you want your mind to be liberated? You know you have to “think out of the box” but you don’t know for what reasons you still see yourself stuck within the restrictions and rules of your habits. The answer is within your reach. Manganergy is a workshop for you to play freely with curves, shapes, and any combinations, surrounded by exciting music, connected by a series of exercises to activate your creativity. Benefits: – Activate your creative potential – Discover new insights about yourself – Release stress – Free your mind – And most importantly, have lots of FUN. Who should join? Anyone who wants to discover your creative capability. You don’t need to have talents or experiences in drawing. With this workshop, you will be guided through every activity. Feeling the smallest changes, little challenging exercises will create the environment to energize your sensibility, observability, and help you express your natural and unique self. Maximum number of participants: 25 Fee: 180.000 VND / adult 130.000 VND / student (including drawing kits and materials for the whole workshop) Payment should be made before 16:00, 1 Dec 2015 by: – Bank transfer to: 0491000061588, Vietcombank, owner: Tran Nguyen Binh Minh – Direct payment in cash at Life Art, Level 2, No. 56, Nguyen Khuyen, Dong Da dist, Hanoi Instructor: Ms. Tran Binh Minh, Founder of SENSES Garden * Note: The workshop will only be conducted if the number of participants exceeds a required minimum. * For information and enquiries, contact via email: minhtran1312@gmail.com or hotline: 01668409806 VNN