HÀ NỘI — A series of concerts dedicated to composer Nguyễn Văn Quỳ will take place on June 10-12 in the capital's Old Quarter. The programme features his sonatas, of which two of his nine have won prizes from the Viet Nam Musicians Association. 

His mantra can be summed up in a phrase, "Music that is pure and honest will eventually touch the heart of its listener".

Titled "Pensant a toi," (Thinking of you), it takes after a poem he wrote, and will honour the music of the beloved Ha Noi composer.

Born in 1925 in a family with musical traditions, Nguyễn Văn Quỳ studied piano and violin as a child and showed prodigious talent. Graduating from music courses run by the French, he later taught music for many years in Ha Noi colleges. He died on January 27, 2022 at the age of 97.

Through self-study, he learned instrumental composition and felt passionate about writing sonatas. He had written nine sonatas for violin and piano during his life, and his works have been performed in Singapore, France and Switzerland. 

He also wrote other Vietnamese songs sung by singers both in Viet Nam and overseas. He was also the winner of a national prize and medal for his lifetime dedication to the arts and as a music educator. 

In 2009, he was awarded the Cultural Heritage Patrimoenia Award by the Swiss Embassy in Ha Noi. 

This three-concert series, jointly organised by Schubert in a Mug, a private music group and Friends of Vietnam Heritage, will celebrate the life and work of composer Nguyễn Văn Quỳ, presenting seven out of his nine sonatas.

Featuring violinists Đao Mai Anh and Nguyễn Thien Minh and pianists Hsin-chiao Liao and Hoang Hồ Thu as well as violinist Hoang Hồ Khanh Van.

The programme, sponsored by Viet Thương Music, Steinway & Sons and L'art pour L'art, takes place at 50 Đao Duy Từ, a new venue for classical music.

Visit facebook.com/SchubertinaMug for ticket info. VNS