BERLIN — For 20 years, Professor and guitarist Đặng Ngọc Long, director of Berlin-Gesundbrunnen Music School in Germany, has used the Berlin International Guitar Competition and Festival to showcase Vietnamese culture through music. He now hopes to bring the event to Hà Nội.

The festival marks its 20th anniversary this year. Long, the first Vietnamese guitarist to win a Special Prize at an international guitar competition in 1987, has long served as jury president.

This year, 30 contestants from 15 countries entered the competition, with five finalists set to compete on October 10 at Ballhaus Prinzenallee in Berlin. The programme also includes a gala concert, masterclasses and a guitar exhibition. Long’s compositions have been selected as compulsory pieces, introducing international musicians to Vietnamese music.

Inspired by Vietnamese folk melodies and literature, particularly The Tale of Kiều, his works offer more than musical challenges. Through his Suite Kiều (Tổ khúc Kiều), contestants explore the classic tale’s characters, human struggles, and cultural values.

For Long, the festival represents two decades of building bridges through music. Vietnamese artists abroad, he said, can promote their cultural heritage internationally while bringing new artistic experiences home.

His vision aligns with the Politburo’s Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW on cultural development, which calls for stronger international cultural integration and the promotion of Vietnamese values.

Long also advocates greater support for international cultural exchanges, including funding, travel, visas and copyright arrangements. He hopes to devote more time to compositions inspired by Việt Nam’s literature, history, nature and people, while creating more opportunities for young Vietnamese guitarists to work with international peers.

“Music knows no borders,” he said, noting that a performance succeeds when it inspires foreign audiences to learn more about Việt Nam.

His next ambition is to bring the Berlin festival to Hà Nội, allowing Vietnamese stories to resonate through guitar music on home soil.—  VNA/VNS