Southwest Chamber Music exchange in Hanoi
![Jeff von der Schmidt, artistic director of the Southwest Chamber Music, and musicians rehearse at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi.](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7ab767d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x391+0+0/resize/586x391!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2F76%2Ff695f62ca3d738f505b9f7afbd8c%2Fla-et-vietnam-01-kz4qh6nc.jpg)
Jeff von der Schmidt, artistic director of the Southwest Chamber Music, and musicians rehearse at the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi. (Chau Doan / For The Times)
![la-et-vietnam-02-kz4qh4nc.jpg](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e152c0d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x391+0+0/resize/586x391!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ff1%2F58%2Fdebbe342a57c5900398e5ec3d0ed%2Fla-et-vietnam-02-kz4qh4nc.jpg)
The opening concert in Hanoi is the first of four as part of the Ascending Dragon festival. (Chau Doan / For The Times)
![la-et-vietnam-03-kz4qgjnc.jpg](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/988a2e9/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x391+0+0/resize/586x391!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fb7%2F77%2F80291cf70fbf992ff69a9c2fdf45%2Fla-et-vietnam-03-kz4qgjnc.jpg)
Vietnamese concertgoers listen attentively to the performance. (Chau Doan / For The Times)
![la-et-vietnam-04-kz4qjonc.jpg](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f3772ba/2147483647/strip/true/crop/586x391+0+0/resize/586x391!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fd4%2F88%2F861befe0525ca4066341353b8932%2Fla-et-vietnam-04-kz4qjonc.jpg)
Vietnamese composer Vu Nhat Tan attends the concert. He will present his commissioned piece Friday at the Hanoi Opera House. (Chau Doan / For The Times)
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Jan Karlin of Southwest Chamber Music is in gift-giving mode with Vietnamese musicians. (Chau Doan / For The Times)