Professional journey
After 19 years of operation and development, the Golden Bell of Traditional Vietnamese Music has truly become a familiar program for audiences who love traditional Vietnamese folk songs and cải lương (reformed opera) pieces; it is a platform for the younger generation to appreciate, inherit, and expand the movement of traditional Vietnamese folk singing and cải lương theater. The program is also considered a practical activity to honor the art of traditional cải lương theater and cải lương stage art.
The Golden Bell of Traditional Vietnamese Music competition is also considered a cradle for many young artists, providing them with opportunities and a foundation to enter the profession. After the competition, many contestants have chosen to pursue professional artistic careers, striving to contribute their talents to the art of traditional Vietnamese music and cải lương (reformed opera). Among them, many artists have made their mark in the profession and gained the love of the audience, such as: Võ Minh Lâm, Hồ Ngọc Trinh, Nguyễn Ngọc Đợi, Võ Thành Phê, Trần Thị Thu Vân, Bùi Trung Đẳng, Nguyễn Văn Mẹo, Nguyễn Thị Luận, Nguyễn Minh Trường, Nguyễn Văn Khởi…; some have received prestigious titles such as Meritorious Artist and People's Artist.
With each passing season, the organizers have strived to find new and engaging models, increasing the competitiveness of talent among contestants and showcasing the singing and performing abilities of young people. In addition, the competition has expanded interactive activities between the judges, coaches, and contestants, as well as between contestants and the audience, to create appeal for the program and contribute to the sustainable development of traditional national art forms.
Over 19 seasons, despite facing numerous challenges in terms of economics , personnel, and the pool of applicants, the Golden Bell of Traditional Vietnamese Music competition has consistently remained one of the most beloved art programs, a culturally distinctive Southern Vietnamese art brand of Ho Chi Minh City Television, and has effectively contributed to the search, selection, and short-term training of many young artists.
Many exciting innovations
The 20th Golden Bell Traditional Singing Contest officially launched in May 2025 with an audition round featuring 176 contestants. After the preliminary selection phase, 32 contestants with strong voices advanced to the Audition round, which took place from July 22nd to 25th at the Ho Chi Minh City Television Theater. The Audition sessions will be broadcast on August 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th, 2025.
This year, the audition round has been revamped. In each competition night, 8 contestants, divided into 4 teams, will compete in pre-determined excerpts from Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera). The 9 outstanding contestants will advance to the final round, which will take place on Sunday evenings in September 2025. In addition, this year's competition will include side activities where contestants can interact and perform for the community, military units, students, and others.
The judging panel and coaching staff for this year's competition are also considered innovative, blending veteran artists such as People's Artist Thanh Nam, People's Artist Trong Phuc, People's Artist Phuong Loan, Meritorious Artist Thoai My, Meritorious Artist Kim Phuong, and artist Chi Tam… with young artists who rose to fame through the competition itself, such as Ho Ngoc Trinh, Vo Minh Lam, and Nguyen Ngoc Doi. With the experience of the older generation and the youthful, contemporary spirit of the younger artists, the program promises to help contestants improve with each performance, showcasing their talents and passion for traditional theater.
Another notable feature of this year's competition is the increased prize value, with the Gold Bell receiving 150 million VND, the Silver Bell 80 million VND, and the Bronze Bell 50 million VND, higher than in 2024 when the prizes were only 100, 50, and 30 million VND respectively.
On the evening of August 31st, the Golden Bell Traditional Opera Gala will take place at Nguyen Hue pedestrian street and the Ho Chi Minh City Television Theater. The program will be broadcast live, connecting the two locations and showcasing the beauty of traditional Vietnamese Cai Luong (traditional opera) to audiences and tourists.
This program also aims to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 - August 19, 2025) and the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2025).
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/chuong-vang-vong-co-hanh-trinh-20-nam-giu-lua-cai-luong-post805327.html
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