Au Co Vietnamese Musical Ensemble
Refugees, New Americans, and Jimi Hendrix
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Photos, L to R: Vân-Ánh Võ and Au Co students clap during the SOC: Bayview concert (Credit: Sonia Narang/ACTA); Au Co students perform during the concert (Credit: DeShawn Davis); members of the ensemble pose for a group picture backstage at the Bayview Opera House (Credit: Sonia Narang/ACTA); in the opera house green room, an Au Co student's hair is styled for the concert (Credit: Sonia Narang/ACTA); two pictures of the ensemble rehearsing for the concert (Credit: Sonia Narang/ACTA).
The Au Co Vietnamese Cultural Center is home to a youth ensemble that performs traditional music on the đàn tranh (the Vietnamese zither) and other instruments. Originally established as a language-training center for refugees settling in San Francisco’s Tenderloin area after the Vietnam War, the Center also provides opportunities for the community to practice traditional arts. The ensemble’s director is master artist Vân-Ánh Võ, an Emmy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist devoted to advancing appreciation for the Vietnamese American youth of the Bay Area.
Filmed by Jon and Joanne Ching on April 29, 2018.