| Violinist Bui Cong Duy - Photo: Courtesy of HBSO |
Vinh, both formal and breath-takingly nonchalant, was warmly received. A harder task confronted violinist Nguyen Linh Uyen (16) with the second and third movements of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Romantic works demand an expressive emotional commitment many believe even 16-year-olds can’t come up with. But her high notes proved sweet, and her technique allowed her to get away nicely with the difficult third movement.
Bui Cam Ly (18) followed with two short crowd-pleasers, Massenet’s Meditation and Elgar’s Salut d’amour, the second taken at a surprisingly brisk pace. But the best of the youthful violinists was saved until last. Nguyen Thien Minh (17) immediately established his pre-eminence by his confidence and assured stage presence, and gave Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen with great brilliance. A mature interpretative disposition and a strong sense of style together brought the first half of the evening to a close with an ovation, and rightly.
But the second half began with an equally stellar performance – Do Hoang Linh Chi (13) playing the opening movement of Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C, K.467. Here was another indubitable stylist, lovingly playful, and showing in her phrasing and emphases a mastery that would have graced a pianist of any age. The orchestra, too, recognized her star quality and dutifully rose to the occasion.
Finally Bui Cong Duy appeared, playing the solo violin part in Nguyen Manh Duy Linh’s Concerto Grosso for violin, piano, percussion and string orchestra. It proved a difficult work to come to terms with for the audience, but, with the composer himself present, this was clearly an important occasion. And if what we shall remember are first and foremost Hanoi’s young instrumentalists, this nevertheless proved a successful and happy event all round.
