The trend of inviting artists to the living room.

TP - While previously, artists performing in private homes was usually only seen at lavish parties, this model is now becoming increasingly common. Mini-shows in living rooms or gardens, catering to a few dozen listeners, are becoming a trend among a segment of the urban middle class.

Personalize your music experience.

Last weekend, I was invited to a private party hosted by a prominent figure in the logistics industry. The highlight of the entire event was a minimalist-style stage set in a spacious living room of approximately 70 square ^meters , with the audience less than two meters from the singers. For some popular performances, such as the traditional Vietnamese folk song "Mục hạ vô nhân," the audience could even request a new version by Soobin Hoàng Sơn and his son.

A home concert space accommodating a few dozen guests offers a private and unique musical experience, distinct from large venues designed for crowds.

The host of the party said that instead of hiring singers to perform mainstream music like in previous years, he wanted his friends to experience a different form of entertainment. “In large venues, the audience usually sits quite far from the artists. In this space, however, listeners and performers can interact directly like friends. Furthermore, people can request the artists to perform their favorite acts, instead of leaving it entirely up to the director as in a theater,” he said.

According to Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoa, the emergence of small-scale music performances in private spaces not only creates more choices for audiences but also opens up a new market for artists, contributing to the diversification of the arts labor market and reducing dependence on traditional organizers. For many years, performance opportunities have often been concentrated in theaters, large events, or commercial programs. Meanwhile, many artists working in classical music, folk music, jazz, or orchestral music have struggled to maintain a stable performance frequency.

"From an economic and cultural perspective, this is a positive sign. Art can only develop sustainably when artists have regular work opportunities and are paid fairly for their expertise," Ms. Hoa commented.

These types of performances are becoming increasingly common in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Ca trù, xẩm, đàn tranh, jazz, string ensembles, chamber music, and many other art forms that were once familiar to theaters or specialized cultural spaces are now being brought into living rooms, gardens, private villas, and even family gatherings.

A representative of the Dong Kinh Ancient Music group said that in recent years, the group has frequently received invitations to perform in smaller spaces, from private homes and receptions to corporate gatherings. According to him, the close proximity allows listeners to better appreciate the technique, emotion, and improvisation—elements often diminished on large stages.

Dong Kinh Co Nhac is renowned for its approach to recreating original performance spaces without the use of electronic sound amplification equipment. For many years, the group has pursued small-scale performances and has a regular performance schedule in the Old Quarter.

Small-scale art appreciation models are gaining interest among some urban audiences due to the intimate experience they offer between artists and listeners.

You may also like

The "Musical Flow" concert commemorates 76 years of Vietnam-Poland relations.The concert is an activity with profound cultural diplomatic significance, celebrating the strong friendship between the two countries and affirming the role of music as a common language without boundaries.

"Some audience members, after watching the show, have invited the group to perform at gatherings with friends or family events. Usually, the audience is only a few dozen people, but they watch very attentively," he said.

Lan Anh, an event organizer in Hanoi, said that music events with 20 to 50 guests have been booked more frequently in recent years, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Our customers are mainly businesspeople, entrepreneurs, or affluent families. Many want to celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, or entertain guests in a way that's different from a typical party. Some hire a whole group of zither players, others want to perform ca trù or hat van (traditional Vietnamese singing), and some rent a string quartet to play classical music in their garden. They consider this a part of their lifestyle,” Lan Anh shared.

A new direction

Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a cultural sociology expert at the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, believes this phenomenon reflects a change in the cultural enjoyment needs of the urban middle class. According to Dr. Hoa, many years ago, cultural consumption was often associated with fixed locations such as theaters, performance venues, or museums. Currently, the public tends to personalize their experiences.

"Audiences no longer just want to watch a show. They want to be part of that space, to converse with the artists, to feel that the experience belongs to them," Dr. Nguyen Thi Hoa observed.

In fact, many forms of traditional Vietnamese music originated in small spaces. Ca trù (a type of Vietnamese folk singing) was once present in guilds and private homes. Southern Vietnamese folk music was also associated with community life before moving to the professional stage. The return of these art forms to the living room is, in a sense, a return to their original environment.

Responding to a question from a Tien Phong reporter about whether this is a sign of a resurgence of traditional art or merely a trendy form of consumption, cultural researcher Nguyen Khoa from the Institute for Research, Preservation and Promotion of National Culture believes that this phenomenon should be viewed from both perspectives.

On the one hand, Mr. Khoa positively assesses that traditional art is finding new spaces to survive. "If we only wait for audiences to come to the theater, many art forms will be very difficult to sustain. The appearance of art in daily life is a welcome development," Mr. Khoa said.

However, on the other hand, according to Mr. Khoa, long-term value lies not in the number of private performances but in the ability to form a genuine audience. An audience member who hires an artist to perform at a birthday party may not necessarily become a long-term follower of traditional art. "The question is whether, after that experience, they want to learn more. If it only stops at the novelty, the impact will be very short-lived," Mr. Khoa stated.

You may also like

Hai Phong: Training and skills development for nearly 2,500 delegates of People's Councils at all levels.(PLVN) - On June 4th, the Standing Committee of the Hai Phong City People's Council, in coordination with the National Assembly's Committee on Delegate Affairs, organized a training conference to enhance knowledge and skills for People's Council representatives at all levels in the city, for the 2026-2031 term.

According to zither artist Minh Anh, performing in a family setting feels very different from performing on a regular stage. “At the theater, sometimes I can’t clearly see the audience’s faces because of the lighting. But in smaller performances, I can see when they’re moved, when they smile, and I can even hear the questions they ask after each performance,” Minh Anh said.

According to Minh Anh, the biggest advantage of this model is interaction. Artists have the opportunity to share more about their work, and listeners actively participate in the musical narrative instead of just passively enjoying the performance.

However, this format also has its limitations. The small performance space means that many works have to be rearranged to fit. Programs that originally required full orchestras or complex sound systems sometimes cannot be fully reproduced as they would on a professional stage. Furthermore, performing at home requires artists to be flexible in handling sound, lighting, and various technical conditions that may arise.

"However, I think this is an interesting direction. Not every concert needs thousands of people. Sometimes just a few dozen truly attentive audience members are enough to create a memorable night of music," Minh Anh shared.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/trao-luu-moi-nghe-si-ve-phong-khach-post1848146.tpo