These days, the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House is alive with the vibrant atmosphere of the 2025 Autumn Melodies Arts Festival, which is scheduled to be held from August 15 to 24, featuring a series of distinguished classical performances.
20 years of autumn melodies
In August 2005, the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet, Symphony Orchestra, and Opera (HBSO) introduced the first 'Autumn Melodies' arts program to the public. Initially conceived as a new platform for domestic classical music talents, the festival also aimed to spotlight Vietnamese artists trained abroad and serve as a bridge for artistic exchange with international performers. From its inaugural edition, the program received an enthusiastic response from audiences, laying the foundation for HBSO to maintain regular organization. Over time, it has grown into a much-anticipated highlight of the city’s cultural calendar, an exceptional meeting point for art lovers, local residents, and visitors alike.
In 2013, the HBSO elevated the 'Autumn Melodies' arts program into an arts festival, adopting a biennial format. Since then, it has become a cultural milestone, the country’s only recurring event dedicated to high-caliber classical and performing arts, featuring acclaimed artists from both home and abroad. The festival has welcomed celebrated Vietnamese performers such as People’s Artist Dang Thai Son, pianist Bich Tra, and violinist Chuong Vu, alongside internationally renowned talents including German conductor and professor Kerstin Behnke and Norwegian choreographer Johanne Jakhelln Constant.
However, the leading role throughout the festivals is still performed by the talented artists of HBSO, likely Tang Thanh Nam, Nguyen Phuc Hung, Nguyen Phuc Hai, Tran Nhat Minh, Pham Trang, Nguyen Manh Duy Linh, Ho Phi Diep, Tran Hoang Yen, Dam Duc Nhuan, Pham Khanh Ngoc, Dao Mac, and Duyen Huyen. Alongside the HBSO choir and symphony orchestra, the artists have made significant contributions to delivering symphonic, chamber, vocal, operatic, ballet, and contemporary dance performances that meet the highest artistic standards currently seen in Vietnam. In recognition of its achievements, HBSO’s Autumn Melodies Arts Festival was officially recognized as a city-level cultural and artistic event in 2022, affirming its status as a key cultural brand of Ho Chi Minh City.
2025, a year of distinctive artistic highlights
The 14th edition of the Autumn Melodies Arts Festival in 2025 marks a new milestone, featuring seven large-scale performances that bring to audiences in Ho Chi Minh City a selection of Vietnam’s most iconic symphonic works. These include Ho Chi Minh Dep Nhat Ten Nguoi (Ho Chi Minh—The Most Beautiful Name), Khat Vong (Aspiration), To Quoc Toi Chua Dep The Bao Gio (Never Has My Homeland Been So Beautiful), Rang Ro Viet Nam (Radiant Vietnam), Ta Tu Hao Di Len (We Walk Proudly), Oh Vietnam, Mua Xuan The Ky (The Spring of the Century), Tuong Dai Vo Danh (The Nameless Monument), Vietnam Rhapsody, and others.
There are also timeless masterpieces of the global classical repertoire, such as Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan,” Johann Sebastian Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 in D minor.
Regarding the highlight of this year's festival, composer Nguyen Manh Duy Linh said that for the first time, the choir will perform a cappella, without instrumental accompaniment, showcasing the vocal techniques of the opera ensemble and soloists. Notably, this year’s festival also marks the first time HBSO has staged and premiered the classical ballet Swan Lake.
According to choreographer Nguyen Phuc Hai, when the theater decided to stage Swan Lake, one of the biggest concerns was staffing due to the shortage of dancers. The theater invited artists from the Ho Chi Minh City Intermediate Dance School and the Sasa Ballet Training Center to collaborate. This partnership not only made the production possible but also helped spread the love of ballet to aspiring dancers and to the broader dance-loving public in Ho Chi Minh City.
Speaking about the Vietnamese compositions featured in the festival, conductor and Meritorious Artist Le Ha My said that this year’s festival coincides with the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2. On this special occasion, through performances of works by exceptional composers, the program aims to honor the musicians who have left a lasting mark on the history of Vietnamese instrumental music, such as Tran Manh Hung, Hoang Cuong, Ca Le Thuan, Major General and Meritorious Teacher Duc Trinh, and Associate Professor Dr. Do Hong Quan.
A notable highlight of the Autumn Melodies Arts Festival in 2025 is that tickets for all seven performances are being offered free of charge to both local and international audiences who appreciate classical art. This generous gesture not only helps promote and expand the festival’s cultural reach but also responds to the growing public demand for high-quality artistic and cultural experiences.
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