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| Conductor Nhu Y (in black) with the Hue brass ensemble |
With just a “magic baton” in hand and an expressive demeanor, the conductor is the soul of an orchestra or choir of dozens, sometimes hundreds of musicians, creating “whirlwinds” of sound in the auditorium - sometimes as fierce as a storm, sometimes as gentle and mysterious as moonlight. This is the conductor in mesmerizing musical performances.
As the person who interprets and conveys musical ideas, inspires, coordinates, and unifies the orchestra, the conductor “creates harmony” among the instruments, transforming notes on paper into a vibrant and emotional work of art.
Nhu Y grew up in a family with a musical tradition, where his father, Musician Nguyen Khac Yen, served as the former Head of the Composition Department at Hue Academy of Music, which inspired him to pursue music from an early age. As soon as he could understand what music was, Nhu Y “fell in love” when he saw the image of a conductor painting music for the orchestra. After studying piano for 9 years and completing the intermediate education, he enrolled in the graduate program for music conducting at Hue Academy of Music. At that time, Hue had no lecturer specialized in this field, so the Academy had to invite lecturers from Hanoi to teach a class of just 3 people over 4 years.
Later, his classmates left to work elsewhere, making Nhu Y the only formally trained conductor in Hue. “It’s been 13 years since I graduated, and the Academy has had only one new student register for the orchestral conducting program in 2024. This shows that symphonic music and choral works in Hue still cannot reach the general public, and few people are interested. Additionally, it’s difficult to obtain a job in Hue City upon graduating,” explained Nhu Y.
After graduating in 2012, Nhu Y was recruited as a lecturer at the Academy. Passionate about conducting, he requested to work with the folk orchestra to gain experience. From 2014 to 2017, Nhu Y performed with the folk orchestra and accumulated his experience.
In 2015, the Music Academy selected students to participate in the 4th International Choir Competition held in Hoi An, and conductor Nhu Y was among the faculty training the choir. Among 40 groups from 15 countries, the Hue Academy of Music choir excellently won the Gold Medal.
In 2017, conductor Nhu Y returned to his true expertise when the Academy decided to establish a choir with 60 students and entrusted him with its management. True to the nickname “choir addict”given by friends and colleagues, Nhu Y poured his heart into the Academy’s choir. Since its establishment, he and the choir have participated in Academy programs and external events such as performing at Hue Festivals, community performances, and international exchanges with countries renowned for choral music like Germany, Belgium, and Japan.
“Managing a choir with up to 60 members means I have to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each person to arrange the formation, plan rehearsals, and performances,” shared Nhu Y. Perhaps the greatest challenge is the instability of membership. When choir members graduate, he searches through each class of new students entering the Academy, assesses their abilities, and invites them to join the choir. Not all students will participate since the choir operates primarily out of passion, with virtually no separate income or benefits.
“The scarcity of symphony orchestras and choirs in Hue can be attributed to the absence of substantial financial sponsorship, despite the considerable time and effort required for training and performances. Apart from some support from the Academy, I’m steering the choir alone. Without financial support, members find it difficult to participate in competitions and events outside Hue, which is a major disadvantage,” confided Nhu Y.
As academic music, the image of an orchestra or choir performing under a conductor’s direction is not unfamiliar, but for Hue residents, it remains primarily something seen on television or online, appealing to a selective audience. There are many reasons for this, but it could be said that the number of orchestras and choirs in the former capital city remains modest. Before the turning point of becoming a centrally-governed municipality, Hue’s cultural and musical activities received much more attention and support from the authorities. This brings hope for symphonic music, creating conditions for this genre to become more accessible to the public. And hopefully, the conductor - the one who leads the magnificent musical vessel - will achieve success, bringing audiences to the transcendent emotions of music.