Speaking at the press conference on November 20, Major General and composer Duc Trinh, President of the Vietnam Musicians' Association (VMA), said that the festival is scheduled to take place from November 27 to December 1, 2025, in Hanoi and Phu Tho Province. The event marks a major return after a seven-year hiatus, following the festival’s successful editions in 2014, 2016, and 2018.
The 2025 festival is expected to serve as a broad artistic exchange forum, providing Vietnam with an opportunity to showcase the achievements of its revolutionary music and introduce new compositions by Vietnamese composers to international audiences. It will also allow foreign artists to gain a deeper understanding of Vietnam’s culture, people, and music, thereby strengthening connections and enhancing the profile of Vietnam’s professional music on the global stage.
According to composer Do Hong Quan, President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations, this year’s event will feature the participation of nearly 30 international composers and artists from countries including Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Denmark, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, and China. In addition, the program will bring together over 220 artists from major domestic art troupes, such as the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Vietnam National Academy of Music, Vietnam National Opera and Ballet Theater, and the Military University of Culture and Arts.
The festival will also welcome the Moscow Contemporary Music Ensemble, which will perform and engage in artistic exchanges with Vietnamese musicians.
The festival’s main activities include the opening ceremony on the evening of November 27 at the Grand Concert Hall of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. In the following days, audiences will enjoy a variety of performances, including international chamber concerts, concerts by young Vietnamese composers, and traditional music performances at multiple venues across Hanoi and Phu Tho.
The organization board will also host three specialized masterclasses for music students, led by international experts, covering topics such as the integration of Eastern and Western instruments, orchestral conducting, and chamber music performance, aimed at enhancing the skills of Vietnam’s next generation of creative musicians.
