The Royal Opera Orchestra of Versailles played at Hanoi’s historic Ho Guom Opera House, where four female musicians wore the Vietnamese ao dai. Their elegant dress added a visual layer to a program that mixed familiar and rare Baroque works.

The concert opened with Giovanni Antonio Guido’s four‑movement ‘Four Seasons’, guiding listeners through spring, summer, autumn and winter. It also included seldom‑heard Baroque pieces by Johann Adolf Hasse and Riccardo Broschi, works that are rarely staged in Vietnam.

Baroque arias written for castrato or countertenor voices are rarely performed live in Vietnamese concert venues. Their inclusion highlighted the orchestra’s commitment to presenting a wide range of European Baroque expression.

Polish conductor and violinist Stefan Plewniak led the orchestra, urging the audience to clap along during lively passages. He noted that the ensemble had visited Vietnam twice in one year, hopes to return once or twice each year, and described Baroque music as a universal bridge between cultures.

The performance showed how French Baroque music, rare composers and the traditional ao dai can merge to create a cross‑cultural experience. It reminds us that music can connect different traditions and invite audiences to share in a shared artistic language.