This Thanksgiving will be a little different for Dr. Alexander Freund, as the assistant professor of trumpet, will celebrate the holiday in Hanoi, Vietnam as a featured musician at the Hanoi Brass Week 2022 festival from Nov. 20-30.
The festival, which takes place at the Goethe-Institut of Hanoi, is organized by the musical collective, Hanoi Brass Community, with support from the Goethe-lnstitut Hanoi, the Erato Music School of Hanoi and the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO).
The invitation calls for Dr. Freund to participate and perform at numerous engagements, including masterclasses and seminars, as well as a concert at the Goethe-lnstitut Hanoi, in collaboration with members of Hanoi Brass Community and principal brass players of the Berlin State Opera.
"I'm very happy about the invitation to the Hanoi Brass Festival. It is an honor to be faculty and share the stage with the principal brass players of the Berlin State Opera," said Dr. Freund. "I'm looking forward to traveling to one of the countries I have never been to before."
Dr. Freund will also be the featured soloist and chamber musician at an exclusive concert at Goethe-lnstitut Hanoi, as well as lead a special concert of Wagner’s works at the Erato School with the participation of the Hanoi Brass Week Ensemble.
M5 Mexican Brass Comes to Georgia State
Before leaving for Vietnam, Dr. Freund will perform at Georgia State with the M5 Mexican Brass, which he co-founded in 2005. The concert is made possible through a recent $55,000 arts grant award, "Mexico en Escena," from the Mexican Secretary of Culture (formerly Fonca), and will co-fund 20 concerts in Mexico, the US, Costa Rica and Spain in 2022/23.
According to Dr. Freund, "It is with great joy that, thanks to this grant, that it is possible for M5 Mexican Brass to perform a special concert at Georgia State.”
M5 Mexican Brass, Latin America's most successful brass quintet, was honored with the prestigious grant award, first in 2012 and just last year in 2021.
The M5 Mexican Brass performance at Georgia State takes place Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 11 a.m. at Kopleff Recital Hall. For concert information, please click here.