Hai Phuong and Tang Thanh Nam play the zither and porcelain violin.

Many people were quite surprised to witness the artists performing with great emotion using rather unique instruments, crafted from the familiar material of porcelain.

Artist Hai Phuong and other artists in the Mai Thanh Son band perform a duet of zither, two-stringed fiddle, lute, flute, and drums... all made of porcelain - Photo: TTD

Few would have imagined that from porcelain, artisans could create unique traditional musical instruments whose sounds are indistinguishable from those made of wood or other materials.

Making musical instruments from ceramics for the first time.

After approximately 20 years from conception to completion, a ceramics company has launched six types of musical instruments.

These include five traditional Vietnamese musical instruments such as drums, flutes, two-stringed fiddle, fiddle, and zither, and one instrument used in Western classical music : the violin.

Initially, artisans crafted simple musical instruments like flutes and fiddles. Later, they moved on to crafting more difficult instruments like violins.

"Making violins is quite risky and also a challenge for ceramic artists."

"When we started working on it, we found it very difficult, something we couldn't have imagined beforehand. It took us 7-8 years to create this instrument, with 2 years of assembly alone," shared a representative of the ceramic musical instrument artisans.

Artist Mai Thanh Son performs with drums made of porcelain - Photo: TTD

Artist Hai Phuong (zither player) said that playing a zither made of porcelain is just like playing instruments made of other materials - Photo: TTD

It took hundreds of trials.

To create perfect musical instruments, artisans spend hundreds of hours experimenting with various methods, especially addressing technical issues.

Porcelain is hard, strong, and brittle, so crafting musical instruments with the right thickness to create vibration and harmonious tones requires a great deal of research and experimentation from artisans.

Porcelain flutes produce a clear, crisp sound - Photo: TTD

However, the most difficult part of the instrument-making process is tuning the strings, creating a balance between the thickness and thinness of the instrument to produce the best sound.

A representative from the company stated that they are currently in the process of manufacturing other musical instruments, including many Western-style instruments.

Artist Tang Thanh Nam collaborates with a foreign artist to play the violin - Photo: TTD

Hai Phuong, a zither artist, shared with Tuoi Tre Online that a musical instrument recognized as a successful invention usually adheres to the following principles: producing a beautiful sound, having an attractive shape, and preserving the characteristics of the original instrument.

Artist Hai Phuong commented that the porcelain zither has a beautiful shape, very similar to the ancient zither. While the ancient zither has 16 strings, this porcelain zither has 17 strings.

"The sound of the zither is different from that of a zither with a wooden head. The sound of a zither with a porcelain head is very clear, capable of playing Vietnamese songs and showcasing the techniques of the traditional zither."

"These porcelain musical instruments are not only for performance but can also be valuable decorative items in the home," said artist Hai Phuong.

Artist Hai Phuong and the Mai Thanh Son band perform with musical instruments made of porcelain - Video : TTD

Violinist Tang Thanh Nam said he was quite surprised that porcelain could produce sound. A porcelain violin can weigh twice as much or more than a wooden one, and playing it can also be more difficult for beginners.

"The great thing about a porcelain violin is that it can be played without the need for a sound system and still produce good melodies," shared artist Tang Thanh Nam.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hai-phuong-tang-thanh-nam-choi-dan-tranh-dan-violin-bang-su-20250104160757336.htm