The European Music Festival will return to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with its diverse repertoire from November 17-28.

Slovakian singer Milena Minichova will perform her own brand of sensual pop songs at the European Musical Festival.

This year, in addition to continuing to look for ways to diversify its audiences and repertoire to celebrate the richness of European culture, the festival will present a captivating mixture of European and Vietnamese musicians, demonstrating that breaking down linguistic and cultural barriers, music has the advantage that it never needs to be interpreted, it simply speaks to your soul, said Franz Jessen, ambassador – head of the Delegation of the European Union.

Since 2000, the European Music Festival in Vietnam has introduced a remarkably diverse line-up of concerts in both cities.

"The event is an annual celebration of musical excellence that makes the joy of music accessible to all," said Jessen. "It showcases the EU\'s strength as "unity in diversity" and, more generally, the richness of European culture, and thus contributes to reinforcing relations between Europe and Vietnam."

"Whether your primary interest is in serious contemporary music, world music, jazz, international cultural development or just enjoying fantastic entertainment, the European Music Festival offers unforgettable concerts to connect with," he added.

This year, 20 musicians from Germany, the Netherlands, France, Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgium), the UK and Slovakia will embrace classical music, jazz, pop, rock, and world music. Concerts will take place at the Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre in Ha Noi and the Conservatory of Music in HCM City.

Opening the festival in two cities, the German Ma\'a lot Quintet, considered today one of the leading international chamber ensembles, will get proceedings underway.

The musicians will perform arrangements from Mozart\'s opera Cosi fan tutte, short pieces by Gyogi Ligeti, Deja vu by composer Detlev Glanert and two tango suites by Astor Piazzolla.

For fans of jazz, musicians from the Netherlands, Belgium and France will take audiences into sophisticated jazz melodies with great passion.

Vietnamese musicians including drummer Nguyen Hung Cuong and saxophonist Tran Manh Tuan will join their European partners on stage to perform what promises to be unforgettable collaborations.

Vietnamese traditional music will be introduced by monochord player Co Huy Hung and bamboo xylophone player Le Thi Ngoc Ha.

An innovative performance by UK rock band Zun Zun Egui is also sure to get audiences on their feet. They started out playing up and down the UK to hard-core party crowds. A series of releases followed and, combined with a growing word-of-mouth live reputation, they started getting invited to play shows all over the world.

And to add a final touch of diversity, Slovakian actor, singer and musician Milena Minichova will bring her brand of pop to the stage with a voice that is gaining more and more respect from the public.

Free tickets can be reserved and picked up from November 14 at L\'Espace, the British Council, the Goethe Institute and the Vietnam Performing Arts Centre in Ha Noi, and the Goethe Institute, the British Council and the IDECAF stage in HCM City.

For more information and the festival schedule, please visit www.eumusic-festival.com.