An Tran and many international artists participate in the Saigon International Guitar Festival 2025

An Tran - daughter of saxophone artist Tran Manh Tuan, along with artists from Poland, France, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Thailand... participated in the Saigon International Guitar Festival 2025 with many activities.

The 4.13 Guitar Quartet (Indonesia) performed at the opening ceremony - Photo: LAN HUONG

On the evening of August 15, the Saigon International Guitar Festival 2025 (SIGF) opened at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France - IDECAF, opening a series of events including performances, competitions and artistic exchanges.

Saigon International Guitar Festival 2025 with many activities

SIGF 2025 is jointly organized by Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, Guitar Saigon and artLIVE, taking place over four days, from August 14 to 17.

The reason why the Saigon International Guitar Festival 2025 is held at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France - IDECAF is because the concert hall of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music is under renovation. The new venue adds spirit and quality to this year's festival.

Ms. Nguyen My Hanh - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music - gave the opening speech: " The Saigon International Guitar Festival 2025 welcomes famous names from Poland, France, Mexico, China, Indonesia, Thailand, the US and Saigon Guitar artists, lecturers of Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music.

In addition to the three concerts, the artists also participated in professional activities, contributing to the development of the Vietnamese guitar community. Notably, there was a workshop on advanced guitar techniques with the guidance of An Tran - daughter of saxophone artist Tran Manh Tuan.

“Particularly within the framework of the festival is a guitar competition, held annually, attracting contestants from within the country and abroad. This year there are 5 categories, including an ensemble category with more than 100 contestants from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. We hope to discover more promising young talents,” said Ms. Nguyen My Hanh.

During the opening ceremony, the 4.13 Guitar Quartet from Indonesia brought an emotional atmosphere through familiar songs.

Performance by artist Xuanxuan Sun (China) - Video : LAN HUONG

Latin melodies resound in the heart of Saigon

The first concert night featured artists Xuanxuan Sun (China) and Mauricio Alvarez (Mexico). The performances revolved around the theme of Latin Rosette - a metaphor for cultural exchange in classical music .

The show opened with a performance by Xuanxuan Sun - an artist who has performed at many European and Asian festivals.

Artist Xuanxuan Sun (China) - Photo: LAN HUONG

She brings a series of songs with strong cultural influences such as Richard Vaughan, Ariel Ramirez, Freddie Aguilar, Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Traditional Anatolian Folk Songs...

With his skillful fingers, Xuanxuan Sun paints a multi-colored picture of sound, connecting cultures, from Latin America to the Middle East and Asia.

Notably, Richard Vaughan was composed and performed by Xuanxuan Sun himself. The song was inspired by the flow of Eastern culture combined with a unique Latin spirit.

Artist Mauricio Alvarez (Mexico) - Photo: LAN HUONG

International artist Mauricio Alvarez captivates audiences with his Latin guitar art.

He performed pieces such as Three Pieces for Guitar, Series Americana Latina , pieces by Chopin, Biberian, Joaquín Rodrigo, Debussy, Roland Dyens and his own compositions.

The combination of European classical style and contemporary Latin melodies creates an emotional musical space, reflecting the true spirit of Latin Rosette - where different cultural influences are connected through the language of music.

The second concert took place on August 16 with the participation of Head of Guitar & Harp Department at Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music Michal Nagy (Poland) and Guitar Foundation of America champion Jérémy Jouve (France).

Closing night August 17, the audience met again the 4.13 Guitar Quartet (Indonesia).

HOAI PHUONG - LAN HUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/an-tran-va-nhieu-nghe-si-quoc-te-tham-gia-lien-hoan-guitar-quoc-te-sai-gon-2025-20250816054115267.htm