On November 20, 2019, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department Tran Nhat Hoang had a meeting with Vice Chairman of Classical Movements – Minnesota Orchestra Johan Van Zyl to prepare for the Minnesota Orchestra’s performances (100 members) in big cities of Viet Nam in June and July, 2020 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of United States – Viet Nam diplomatic relations.
The Minnesota Orchestra was founded in 1903 and ranks among America’s top symphonic ensembles. It has a long history of traveling the world to open doors and build bridges between cultural institutions and between peoples. Since their first concert tour in 1907, the Orchestra has performed in Australia, Canada, Europe, the Far East, Latin America, the Middle East and South Africa, a distinguished history that includes tours of Cuba in 1929-1930 and a tour of the Middle East in 1957, including Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan, sponsored by the U.S State Department. The Orchestra returned to Cuba shortly after the normalizations of U.S – Cuba relations in 2015, and in 2018, it undertook a five-city tour of South Africa and participated in celebrations of the centenary of Nelson Mandela’s birth (quoted from Ambassador Daniel J.Kritenbrink).
The performances of the Minnesota Orchestra in Viet Nam will serve as the cornerstone of cultural engagement for the 2020 anniversary year. The Orchestra intends to perform in all three regions of Viet Nam as well as conduct master classes, side-by-side rehearsals, and other immersive exchanges with promising Vietnamese artists in all locations. This concert tour is expected to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of Viet Nam and the United States, and is believed to be one of the most spectacular and exciting music events, giving Vietnamese audiences the opportunity to enjoy the quintessential, passionate music.