The festival brought together a total of 150 students from nine Nord Anglia schools in the region to collaborate, create and perform outstanding music together. The programme was led by Julliard-affiliated conductor, Radu Paponiu. The students developed their talent while making new friends and learning about the local culture, through engaging workshops, rehearsals, and performances.
The festival culminated in a successful gala concert at the Grand Hall of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, which is a spectacular and prestigious performance venue in the heart of Hanoi. Many parents travelled to attend the concert, which showcased what the students had learned and experienced over the last three days. The audience was captivated by a slew of performances by the Festival Choir, Junior Strings and the Senior Orchestra. In addition to this, students had the opportunity to take part in a smaller ensemble of their choice, which included a brass band, three jazz groups, a chamber ensemble and chamber choir.
This gave them the opportunity to challenge them to learn repertoire requiring some very different techniques. The concert repertoire included Largo from Handel’s Xerxes, Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby, Mozart’s Ave Verum Corpus, James Barnes’ Yorkshire Ballad, Brahms’ Hungarian Dances. The Senior Orchestra’s performance of Borodin’s exotic Polovtsian Dances, conducted by Mr Paponiu, was a spectacular close to the show.
Aside from rehearsals and sectionals, the students also took part in a dance workshop and a local culture show, at the Hanoi Opera House, which was a traditional and contemporary Vietnamese Performing Arts show entitled “My Village” (“Làng tôi”). And not forgetting the opportunity to sample the local food!
Well done to Year 6 students Maya, Grace, Ying Lin, Jordan, Ian, Rhu Sen, Jun Qi, Edgar, Rou Xuan, Kevin and Year 7 students Midori, Ying Shan, Ashley, Jun Xi, Ai Ling and Lindsey.