The programme will include 10 performances, with the opening concert set for March 1 at the Vietnam National Academy of Music’s Grand Concert Hall. The concert will be conducted by Honna Tetsuji, with Finnish pianist Henri Sigfridsson appearing as soloist.
Sigfridsson will perform works by Franz Liszt and Sergei Rachmaninov, including Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No 2.
Sigfridsson, who was born in Turku, has won prizes at several international competitions, including the Beethoven International Piano Competition in Bonn and the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition in Weimar.
Honna has served as the orchestra’s musical director and principal conductor for more than 20 years. The orchestra said his work with leading soloists and international ensembles has helped raise performance standards. He has also led VNSO on overseas tours, including in Japan and the US.
The 2026 season is structured around two main themes: a Haydn cycle comprising four concerts and a Tchaikovsky cycle comprising three. The series will also feature major works by composers including Dvorak, Mahler, Wagner, Mozart and Ravel.
The first subscription concert will take place on March 28, opening the Haydn I and Tchaikovsky I programmes. It will be conducted by Sado Yutaka, with cellist Phan Do Phuc as soloist.
Launched in 2005, the VNSO subscription concert series has presented 179 programmes to date. It brings together conductors and soloists from Vietnam and abroad and features works from the international symphonic and chamber repertoire.
“The series continues to affirm the orchestra’s long-term and sustainable artistic vision,” said the VNSO director, Trinh Tung Linh. He said it aimed to foster regular concert-going habits while connecting the classical symphonic tradition with contemporary musical life in Vietnam.
Highlights this year include Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos No 2 and No 3, Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, Tchaikovsky’s Symphonies No 4, No 5 and No 6, Dvorak’s Symphonies No 8 and No 9, and Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde.
Conductors and guests scheduled to appear include Kim Xuan Hieu, Nguyen Khac Thanh, Zahia Ziouani and Mikhail Kirchhoff. Soloists and vocalists include Slava Kiselev, Tobi Tan Kai Rong, Kudo Shigenori, Nguyen Dang Quang, Nguyen Thien Minh and Pham Le Phuong.
