BUDDHIST CONCERT “HUONG THU CA”

Taking place at the Hanoi Opera House in the autumn of 2016, Huong Thu Ca was a Buddhist music night introducing the compositions of Buddhist musician Dieu Thien (Cu Le Duyen), under the art direction of Venerable Thich Minh Hien and the staging of Dream Studio. The program marked a pioneering approach when bringing Buddhist music into a professional performance space through contemporary theatrical language, combined with unplugged performance forms and a minimalist spirit. 

Gathering many renowned artists such as My Linh, Quoc Hung, Dang Duong, Le Anh Dung, Luong Nguyet Anh, along with the choir of the Vietnam National Academy of Music and the Anh Em band, the program introduced 15 works carrying the spirit of Zen music. Each act was staged minimally, focusing on music, lighting, and emotions, creating a meditative space where the audience could fully feel the depth of every melody.

Instead of emphasizing ritual elements, Dream Studio chose theatrical storytelling language to bring viewers into an inner journey, where music became a bridge connecting art and the Buddhist spirit. The performance space was designed in a minimalist spirit with a scallop-shell velvet curtain - a stage technique usually only appearing at international award ceremonies like the Oscars or Cannes - combined with a cluster of Bodhi leaves crafted from transparent mica with incandescent yellow light inside. This innovative approach brought a new appearance to the program: preserving the doctrinal depth while expressing it through an accessible, deeply moving contemporary art language. The music night closed with the theme song Huong Thu Ca as a word of gratitude sent to monks, nuns, Buddhists, and Buddhist music lovers.

For Dream Studio, Huong Thu Ca was a milestone in the journey of bringing Buddhist art closer to the contemporary public, affirming the ability to harmonize spiritual values and contemporary performance language in an academic and elegant art space.