Hồ Gươm Opera marks first anniversary with international star artists

Hà Nội Philharmonic, Saigon Pops and the Green Choir unite in a show of love for HGO. Photos courtesy of HGO

HÀ NỘI The city’s youngest modern venue for the performing arts, only a few blocks from the Hoàn Kiếm Lake, celebrated its first anniversary with international singers accompanied by the Hà Nội Philhamonic Orchestra, Saigon Pops Orchestra and the Green Wind Choir from Hồ Chí Minh City.

The packed auditorium saw a great performance by tenor Giuseppe Gipali and soprano Meni Ardita.

Born in Albania, and having won the Placido Domingo’s prize Operalia, his singing career has brought him to the top opera halls around the world including La Scala in Milan, Teatro dell’ Opera in Rome, Covent Garden in London and Wiener Staatsoper in Vienna as well as the Sydney Opera House, where he’s currently an artist. He has sung under the baton of conductors Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta and Daniele Gatti. 

Giuseppe Gipali and Meni Ardita.

Soprano Meni Ardita teaches at the University of Fine Arts in Tirana, Albania. Her repertoire includes singing in Cherubini’s Medea, a production of Orchestra of Bergen in 2024. Her previous role was in Mozart’s Don Giovanni with  Albania’s National Theatre of Opera and Ballet. 

They sang under the baton of Việt Nam’s young conductor Trần Nhật Minh, graduating from Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory. One of Việt Nam’s leading violinist Bùi Công Duy also performed two pieces at the concert. 

Top record selling classical artist Katherine Jenkins OBE.

The show also welcomed world’s classical artist with top selling albums, Katherine Jenkins from the United Kingdom back on stage in Việt Nam. She sang international hit ‘Never enough’ by Loren Allred from the film The Greatest Showman among other hits including Queen’s We Are The Champions.

The concert, entitled, ‘The First Sounds of Love’ was a fine blend with signature songs of opera and some contemporary pop hits. 

Hồ Gươm Opera has a strong upcoming show schedule, with an all-Vietnamese cast of Carmen under the baton of conductor Rebecca Bryant Novak from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York this July and La Traviata in August. 

One year after its grand opening, HGO has its light on for nearly 70 shows and performances with some international artists including saxophonist Kenny G., violinist Caroline Campbell, pianist Anna Polonsky, Katy Perry, barritone Vladislav Sulimsky and artists of the Royal Opera of Versailles orchestra.

Unlike other established opera house around the world, which are closed for summer before the new season. July has been the opening and birthday month of HGO and it doesn’t seem to have its curtain call yet. VNS