The Ascending Dragon Music Festival was the largest cultural exchange in history between the United States and Vietnam, celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the founding of the City of Hanoi.
Highlights of the Festival in the U.S. and Vietnam included:
• Seven concerts in Los Angeles and Pasadena, California
• Five concerts in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
• Four commissions by four composers-in-residence–
Still Distant, Still Here by Kurt Rohde; Within Earth, Wood Grows by Alexandra du Bois; Thang Long by Pham Minh Thanh; and Pho by Vu Nhat Tan
• The U.S. and Asian premieres of On Conversing with Paradise, a recent work by 101 year old American composer Elliott Carter
• 17 American premieres including works by Vietnamese expatriate composers Ton That Tiet and Nguyen Thien Dao
• Side-by-side performances by U.S. and Vietnamese musicians
Biographies of Ascending Dragon Composers:
Between March 10-21, 2010:
• The
Ascending Dragon Music Festival, part of the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Hanoi, was performed by musicians from Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber Music and Vietnamese musicians and faculty from the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi
• Performances included numerous Asian premieres at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, the Hanoi Opera House and the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory Concert Hall
• World premiere performances of newly commissioned works by Alexandra du Bois, Kurt Rohde,
Pham Minh Thanh, and
Vu Nhat Tan took place at the Hanoi Opera House on Friday, March 19, 2010
•
On Conversing with Paradise by 101 year old American composer Elliott Carter received its Asian premiere at the Hanoi Opera House on March 19, 2010 with bass-baritone Evan Hughes
• Other special Ascending Dragon Festival events took place at locations throughout Hanoi including the Thang Long Gallery, U.S. Ambassador’s Residence, and U.S. Embassy
Click
here for the full schedule of concerts in Vietnam
Between February 27 and May 3, 2010:
• The
Ascending Dragon Music Festival was performed by musicians from Grammy Award-winning Southwest Chamber Music and Vietnamese musicians and faculty from the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi
• Performances included 17 United States premieres at the Armory Center for the Arts in Pasadena and the Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles, across the street from Walt Disney Concert Hall
• American premiere performances of newly commissioned works by Alexandra du Bois, Kurt Rohde,
Pham Minh Thanh, and
Vu Nhat Tan
•
On Conversing with Paradise by 101 year old American composer Elliott Carter received its American premiere on April 24, 2010 with bass-baritone Evan Hughes
• Other special Festival community events took take place at various locations throughout Los Angeles County, including the Pacific Asia Museum, the home of composer Arnold Schoenberg and various schools in Los Angeles, Alhambra, and Pasadena.
Click
here for Program Book with the full schedule of concerts in Pasadena and Los Angeles
