Conductor Nhu Y (in black) with Hue brass orchestra

With only a “magic wand” in hand and an expressive demeanor, the conductor is the soul of a symphony orchestra or choir with dozens or even hundreds of musicians to swirl into the auditorium “whirlwinds” of sound, sometimes as fierce as a storm, sometimes as gentle and mysterious as the moonlight… That is the conductor in enchanting musical performances.

As the person who interprets and conveys musical ideas, inspires, coordinates and unifies the orchestra, the conductor is the one who “creates harmony” between the instruments to turn the notes on paper into a vivid and emotional work of art.

Growing up in a family with a musical tradition, his father is musician Nguyen Khac Yen, former Head of the Music Composition Department of the Hue Academy of Music, Nhu Y decided to pursue a musical career from a young age. As soon as he felt what music was, Nhu Y "loved it at first sight" when he saw the image of a conductor drawing music for the orchestra below to perform. Studying piano for 9 years, after graduating from high school, he continued to study music conducting at the Academy. At that time, Hue did not have a lecturer in this field, the Academy had to invite a lecturer from Hanoi to teach a class of only 3 people for 4 years. Later, his classmates left to work elsewhere, and Nhu Y became the only conductor in Hue to receive formal training. “It has been 13 years since I graduated, and the Academy has only had one new person enrolling to study orchestra conducting in 2024. This shows that symphonic and choral music in Hue is still not accessible to the people and few people are interested. Another part is that it is difficult to find a job in Hue after graduating from this major,” Nhu Y said.

Nhu Y graduated from university in 2012 and was retained at the school to teach. Because of his passion for conducting orchestras, he applied to join the traditional orchestra to conduct and get acquainted with the orchestra. From 2014 to 2017, Nhu Y performed with the traditional orchestra and gained experience.

In 2015, the Academy of Music selected a number of students to participate in the 4th International Choir Competition held in Hoi An, conductor Nhu Y was also among the instructors training the choir. Among 40 participating groups from 15 countries, the Hue Academy of Music Choir won the Gold Medal.

In 2017, conductor Như Ý returned to his true profession when the Academy decided to establish a choir with 60 students and assigned him to manage it. True to the title of “choir addict” that friends and colleagues often call him, Như Ý has devoted all his heart to the Academy’s choir. Since its establishment, he and the choir have participated in the Academy’s programs as well as external programs such as performing at the Hue Festival, community performances, international exchanges with countries famous for choirs, such as Germany, Belgium, Japan, etc.

“Managing a choir with up to 60 members, I have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each person to arrange the lineup, plan practice and performance…”, Nhu Y shared. The most difficult thing is probably the unstable membership. When a member of the orchestra graduates, he goes to each new class of students entering the Academy, learns about their abilities and invites them to join the choir. Not all students will participate because the choir operates basically for passion, with almost no personal income or benefits. “The reason why Hue has few symphony orchestras and choirs is because there are no big sponsors, in which to be able to practice and perform, symphony orchestras and choirs spend a lot of time and effort. Except for some support from the Academy, the choir is led by itself, the students do not have income support, and it is also difficult to participate in competitions and events outside of Hue, that is a huge disadvantage”, Nhu Y confided.

As an academic music, the image of an orchestra or choir performing under the direction of a conductor is not unfamiliar, but for the people of Hue, it is mainly an image on TV, on the internet and is quite picky about the audience. There are many reasons, but in conclusion, it can be said that the number of orchestras and choirs in the land of the Gods is still modest. Before the turning point of Hue becoming a city directly under the Central Government, cultural, musical and artistic activities were paid much more attention and support by the government. This brought hope to symphonic music, creating conditions for this genre of music to be more accessible to the people. And hopefully, the conductor - the one who leads the majestic musical boat - will be successful, bringing the audience to the sublime emotions of music.

Pham Phuoc Chau