Special story about People's Artist whose father used to be a department head

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi studied at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music) when he was only 7 years old. His father was the Director of the Department of Performing Arts.

From a boy learning piano to a talented conductor

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi was born in 1964, started learning piano at the age of 5 and officially enrolled at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music) at the age of 7. His father is musician Pham Dinh Sau - former Director of the Department of Performing Arts, who won the State Prize for Literature and Arts, Phase I, in 2001.

"I came to music by chance because I was born into a musical family. Since I was a child, I have been exposed to music and loved it naturally," artist Pham Ngoc Khoi shared in the program Confession.

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi is Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians Association.

Although he started with the piano, he soon realized that his mindset was suited to the role of orchestra conductor. "I understood that the function of a pianist was to replace an orchestra to accompany singers and soloists. From there, it formed in me the mindset of a conductor," he said.

After graduating from the Hanoi Conservatory of Music with a degree in piano and conducting, People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi has been involved in composing, arranging, staging and conducting many major national art performances since 1983. He is also a founding member of the Hoa Sua band, participating in the development of many art performances.

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi and People's Artist Ta Minh Tam in the work "Hanoi Song":

On his first night conducting at the Opera House when he was only 19-20 years old, he took on the opera The Watermelon by composer Do Nhuan. Despite the great pressure, People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi did not feel nervous. "I was young at that time so I was not too scared, perhaps the excitement inside me was too great," he recalled.

Special story about the soundtrack of the movie The Intelligence General and His Two Wives

Among the many musical works he has composed, the soundtrack for the film The Intelligence General and His Two Wives left a special mark in the career of People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi. He wrote the music for this film with the director, People's Artist Bui Cuong.

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi started learning piano at the age of 5.

Before writing music for this film, People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi had the opportunity to meet directly with many famous intelligence officers such as Pham Xuan An, Dang Tran Duc, Vu Ngoc Nha... Not only did he understand more about their silent sacrifices, People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi also heard about the injustice of their family members, especially their wives and children in the rear.

Field trips to Phu Quoc and Con Dao also left him with deep memories and became a valuable source of inspiration. That was the occasion when former VicePresident Truong My Hoa took him to the door of the prison cell, where many women sang the Song of Hope in silence. She sang for him and everyone else. These experiences helped him compose the famous song "Thung thang ngay khong anh" in the film.

For me, folk music is passion and responsibility.

  Anyone who comes into contact with People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi feels an abundance of energy and a selfless dedication that he always demonstrates through meaningful work. He arranges and conducts most of the instrumental music for the Vietnamese National Academy of Music's traditional orchestra in major events.

"For me, folk music is a passion and a responsibility. I always learn from and inherit from previous generations such as musicians Nguyen Xuan Khoat, Tran Quy, Nguyen Dinh Tich, Quang Hai, Do Nhuan, Nguyen Van Thuong... For me, they are great teachers who have written musical works for the country," he once shared.

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi conducted for the first time at the Opera House at the age of 19.

One of his famous folk instrumental works is Dat Nuoc Thai Hoa , which was selected to be introduced at the opening ceremony of Hue Festival 2021. This work was written by him in the spirit of looking back at the whole country just going through the pandemic with many losses and sorrows.

Work "Peaceful Country":

He once said: "Writing great music means exhausting oneself, so that the country's music has the opportunity to reach the majority of people, and at the same time connect with the world. When the work has a long life, the musician has made a certain contribution to the musical life, then their 'brainchildren' will blend into the common song of the country, creating the stature of Vietnam because listening to the music will imagine what that country is like."

People's Artist Pham Ngoc Khoi was awarded the title of Meritorious Artist (2001) and People's Artist (2015) for his outstanding achievements in the field of music. He is currently Vice President of the Vietnam Musicians' Association, Director of the National Orchestra, and Head of the Department of Composition - Conducting - Musicology, Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Minh Nghia

Dieu Thao revealed a special handshake with People's Artist Ngoc Khoi. After playing the song 'Suy tu', pipa artist Dieu Thao shook hands with People's Artist Ngoc Khoi and was moved to see the conductor's sweaty hands.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/chuyen-dac-biet-ve-nsnd-viet-nhac-phim-vi-tuong-tinh-bao-va-hai-ba-vo-2401644.html