The 1st national zither festival will be held at the HCM City Labor Cultural Palace on October 30.
Nearly 120 zitherists throughout the country will join the event. The list of famous artists includes Vo Van Anh, the 1st winner of the Talent Zitherist 2002 Contest; music teacher Pham Thi Tra My of the National Music Institute; Mai Thi Hong Nga, teacher of the Hue Music Institute and etc.
there is also a seminar on preserving and developing dan tranh (zither, a Vietnamese traditional 16-stringed instrument) with participation of Professor Tran Van Khe; head of the Traditional Music Department of the HCMC Conservatory of Music, musician Huynh Khai; People’s teachers Nguyen Van Doi and Pham Thuy Hoan and more.
| The Vietnamese zither (dan tranh) is also known as Dan Thap Luc or sixteen-stringed zither. It has a trapezium-shape, 110-120 cm in length. The large end is 25-30 cm in width with holes and to hang the strings. The narrow is 15-20 cm in width with 16 tuning keys on the surface of the instrument. The strings are made of silk or then copper and now steel. Players use all fingers with plectrums on the thumb. The music of the dan tranh is usually bright and full of cheerfulness. The instrument is often performed solo or in concert, to accompany poem chanting, singing, performances of traditional orchestra. |
