American musician Dirk Johan Stromberg

“I’ve learned a lot from this vibrant and bustling city, particularly about Vietnamese culture.”  The trip has given him an opportunity to meet Vietnamese graduates from several prestigious music universities, including Russia, France, and Vietnam. Stromberg is particularly interested in Vietnamese folk music.

Mr. Stromberg is a graduate of Texas Tech University and received a master’s degree in music from Brooklyn College. He currently teaches at Turkey’s Istanbul Bilgi University, and has made several tours around the world.

The American musician is currently preparing a performance with musician Hoang Quan, who will play the dan nhi (two-chord fiddle), a traditional Vietnamese instrument. Stromberg typically works with computer compositions, and uses a combination of classical, jazz, pop, and Asian music.

Stromberg, along with his international and Vietnamese contemporaries, will perform at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, September 26th, 27th, and 28th. 

This performance is an opportunity for Vietnamese musicians and their counterparts, coming from the Philippines, Portugal, and the U.S, to exchange stylistic practices and training techniques, and to be a part of the current leaning towards the integration of world music.

The event is composed of three sections, featuring symphonic performances, a dialogue between Vietnamese and international composers, and a display of musical instruments.

The festival is jointly organized by the HCMC Conservatory of Music, the International Communication Company, and the Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper.  Ticket prices range from VND100, 000 to VND150, 000.