On 3 November 2012 more than 60 members and friends of the Foundation were pleasantly treated with an exquisite music recital which featured a beautiful blending of Vietnamese and western music. Performed at the event were 3 accomplished musicians: Nguyễn Lê Tuyên, Nguyễn Kim Oanh and Nguyễn Xuân Ánh.
Lê Tuyên is the inventor of the new guitar technique staccato-harmonic duotone (whereby two music tones are created on one string at the same time) and has given many highly acclaimed concerts and lectures in Australia, Europe, Asia and the USA.
During the night Lê Tuyên demonstrated this unique technique with many of his compositions which were inspired by music of the minority people in the central highlands of Vietnam. Also presented were his wonderful interpretations of some of traditional Vietnamese folk songs such as Lý Con Sáo, Lý Chim Quyên etc.
Leaving the Vietnam highlands and countryside behind, the audience was transported to the other side of the world, to the sea and sky of Italy and Europe.
Accompanied by Nguyễn Xuân Ánh in the guitar, Nguyễn Kim Oanh, with her beautiful operatic voice, captivated the audience with her enchanting renditions of famous songs such as Santa Lucia, O Solo Mio, Mama and many others.
Kim Oanh and Xuân Ánh are the founders and directors of the “Accelerated Centre for Education”, a well-respected, quality school for music, dance, and visual arts in Sydney. They both were graduates of the Saigon Conservatorium of Music (before 1975), Sydney Conservatorium of Music and University of New South Wales.
Kim Oanh has performed as a solo singer and a choir conductor for churches in Vietnam and Sydney and, for more than 33 years, taught music in schools.
Before 1975 Xuân Ánh was a guitar lecturer at the Saigon Conservatorium of Music.
The three artists at the event are therefore not only seasoned performers but also experienced educationalists. With each piece of the music presented, the artists gave an illuminating introduction on its background and its meaning. The audience enjoyed not only delightful entertainment but also very rewarding and memorable cultural experience.