Vietnamese Opera Grant

Viet Olympiad of Westminster has received a $10,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support a recording project of cai luong, or Vietnamese opera, the NEA announced Tuesday.

The project will include the recording of a compact disc and an accompanying booklet that will aid listeners in understanding and appreciating this endangered art form.

Once highly popular in Vietnam, cai luong is disappearing as its audience ages and the younger generation turns to more Western forms of entertainment.

Created in the 1920s by nationalists who rejected French-dominated art culture, cai luong depicts Vietnam’s legends, society, history and politics by juxtaposing dialogue with singing. In its heyday, this form of opera drew audiences of thousands, but it is regarded as old-fashioned by many today.

In other NEA grant news, the Pacific Symphony has received $25,000 to support its music education program in Orange County elementary and middle schools. (For a full story, see F2.)