The world’s newest orchestra was formed today in … Vietnam
mainThe Sun Group, based in Hanoi, has announced the formation of the Sun Symphony Orchestra, designed (according to the website) ‘to give outreach concerts to various areas of Vietnam, to maintain an active Classics Season featuring the standard greats from the orchestral repertoire, and to bridge the gap between Vietnamese/foreign listeners from all backgrounds and the power of music’.
The inaugural music director is a Frenchman, Olivier Ochanine.
Olivier, 38, was previously music director of the Philippines Philharmonic Orchestra.
Olivier didn’t found the Philippine Philharmonic, rather he was a former Music Director from 2009-2016. The orchestra was founded in 1969 as the Cultural Center of the Philippines Philarmonic Orchestra and then re-organized as the Philippine Philharmonic in 1972. Its current Music Director is Japanese conductor Yosikazu Fukumura.
Just for information, there has been a symphony orchestra in Vietnam since 1959. It was disbanded during the war but has been active again since 1984 giving around 60 concerts a year. Many of the concerts are in the lovely French-build Hanoi Opera House – well, beautiful outside but more basic inside!
Concert/Recital sponsorship has also been active for more than 20 years. Hennessy has an annual series which started in 1996 with recitals by Rostropovich, some of whose pupils in Moscow had come from Vietnam.
Indeed! The VNSO is the national orchestra, and my good friend Tetsuji Honna is Music Director of this orchestra. I’ve also had the pleasure of working with these lovely people before.
Congrats Olivier!
So great to hear the great news!