Hà Nội's classical music calendar gets a rare treat this autumn: the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra (KSO), one of Japan's longest-running orchestras, plays two nights at the Hồ Gươm Opera House on October 24 and 25.
The programme pairs opera excerpts with a symphonic heavyweight. The Mozart selections lean into the composer's clarity and dramatic instinct, while the second half is given over to Brahms' Symphony No 2 — a warmer, more intimate contrast to the vocal fireworks that precede it.
On the podium is Gen Ohta, the orchestra's principal conductor since April 2024. Now 31, he was born in Sapporo, trained at Tokyo University of the Arts, and made his name early by taking second prize and the Audience Award at the 17th Tokyo International Music Competition for Conducting in 2015.
The vocal soloists are a solidly credentialed pair. Soprano Michiko Hariu studied in Japan and Rome and has won prizes at the Fujisawa Opera Competition and the Santa Margherita Ligure International Vocal Competition. Tenor Kohei Yamamoto graduated from Milan's Conservatory and launched his career singing the title role in Don Carlo — he's regarded as one of Japan's leading tenors.
For context on the visitors: the KSO was founded in 1953 in Fukuoka and now performs more than 130 times a year, from subscription concerts at ACROS Fukuoka Symphony Hall to school and community programmes. It has collected a string of Japanese cultural honours, including the Fukuoka City Culture Award and the Minister of Education Regional Culture Award.
Travellers in Hà Nội that week get the chance to hear a top-tier Japanese ensemble in one of the city's most atmospheric venues — the lakeside opera house by Hoàn Kiếm is worth seeing in its own right. It's an unusual cultural crossover, and a good excuse to build an evening of music into a Vietnam itinerary.
Story via Vietnam News Life.
