A Grand Celebration Elevating Đà Lạt’s UNESCO Creative City of Music Status
In March 2024, Đà Lạt, celebrated as the “City of a Thousand Flowers,” successfully hosted the Vietnam Classical Music Festival (VCMF), a monumental event founded and organized by VIETFEST in collaboration with VYMI – Vietnam Youth Music Institute. This festival marked a significant milestone in Đà Lạt’s journey as a UNESCO Creative City of Music, a prestigious recognition awarded in October 2023.
The festival, held from March 10 to March 17, 2024, featured over 100 classical musicians and ensembles from Vietnam and around the world, providing audiences with diverse and exquisite musical experiences. Concerts took place at renowned venues across Đà Lạt, including the Lâm Đồng Youth Activity Center, Đà Lạt Opera House, Phố Bên Đồi, and Ana Mandara Villas Dalat Resort & Spa. Attendees enjoyed classical and contemporary pieces performed by talented artists, such as pianists Tim Allhoff, Liao Hsin-Chiao, Nguyễn Đức Anh, Trần Lê Bảo Quyên, and Vũ Hoàng Cương; violinists Lê Minh Hiền, Trần Lê Quang Tiến, and Phạm Vũ Thiên Bảo; percussionist Kyle Acuncius; the Vietnam Youth Orchestra; Hanoi Brass Community; KOSMOS OPERA; Miracle Trio; Schubert in a Mug; the Sông Hồng Chamber Music Group; and The 6th Floor Woodwind Quintet.
The festival attracted around 5,000 attendees, creating a vibrant and creative atmosphere in Đà Lạt. Highlights included a grand concert with the Vietnam Youth Orchestra – the first multinational youth orchestra in Vietnam – and sunset concerts that beautifully blended classical music with Đà Lạt’s picturesque natural settings. Thematic workshops on classical music and the “Dialogue on Time” exhibition showcased works by renowned painter Nguyễn Tư Nghiêm, offering a unique interaction between his iconic dó paper zodiac paintings and Western symphonic music.
VCMF 2024, founded and meticulously organized by VIETFEST in collaboration with VYMI, was a significant and necessary effort to uphold and develop Đà Lạt’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Music. The festival not only enhanced the city’s reputation in the music sector but also promoted Đà Lạt’s image, culture, and tourism to international audiences. The successful hosting of VCMF 2024 exemplified VIETFEST’s commitment to leveraging cultural industries, particularly music, to foster international integration, sustainable urban development, social cohesion, and improve the quality of life for Đà Lạt’s residents.