No other composer since Beethoven has written as many as nine sonatas for violin and piano.
On Tuesday, October 30, a concert will be held to honor Vietnamese composer Nguyen Van Quy. The event which will also explore his remarkable life story, according to a press release sent out by Friends of Vietnam Heritage.
Having grown up during French colonial rule, it was his prolific songwriting ability that led the French to refer to him as the ‘Vietnamese Beethoven.’
He composed nine sonatas for piano and violin between 1964 and 2003, as well as nine songs. Quy also taught at the Hanoi National University of Pedagogy, and his sonatas are used regularly in teaching sessions at the Vietnamese National Conservatory.
At 93 years old, Quy is now in the autumn of his life and has developed a reputation as one of Vietnam’s most respected classical composers, a reputation he hopes to be recognized for.
The event will include an introduction to Quy, poetry recitals in French, a recital of Quy’s Sonata No. 8 — performed by Pham Thanh Ha (violin) and Phan Huy Phuc (Piano) — and finally a Q&A with the composer.
Held at UNIS’s Hanoi Centre for the Arts, the show will run from 5:45pm to 8pm, with attendees expected to follow a smart dress code. Tickets are VND200,000 for adults and VND100,000 for students.
[Photo via Creative Commons]
