For many people in Vietnam, Cuong Tong is an unfamiliar name, but for artists or the public who love classical music, he is a talent that has been famous since he was quite young. Born in 1987, at the age of 19, this pianist won the first prize in Group B of the Symphony-Chamber Music Talent Competition called "Autumn Concours 2007" organized by the Department of Performing Arts.
It took nearly 20 years since receiving the prestigious music award, and more than 13 years of studying for a Master's degree at the China Music Academy and working in the Chinese art market for Cuong Tong to return to Vietnam and continue his musical dream, which started with the mini album "Musical Memories".
For me, memories, recollections and images in my mind are always very clear. Even though I am busy working and studying in a foreign country, the past images of my childhood and youth are always clearly present in my mind. And I want to use music to recall, to depict and retell those images so that listeners can feel them.
Musician Cuong Tong
The 8x musician shared: “In fact, I have many music products mainly released in the Chinese market. However, at this time I have decided to launch my personal products in my homeland Vietnam, because this is the right time, with all the factors of “heavenly time, favorable location, and harmony of people”, most importantly, now everything is ripe for me to bring my artistic children to light, introduce them to the audience and the domestic art market”.
Cuong Tong added that he had previously intended to launch the product, but had to delay it many times for many reasons. Looking back now, he thanks those delays for helping him find a better choice in terms of team, partners, and also in terms of the market and the right timing.
Musician Cuong Tong has received many high awards at the 2027 Autumn Concour Competition (Vietnam) and the 3rd CCTV National Piano and Violin Competition (China); participated in many major performances with the China Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra, Tianjin Symphony Orchestra and performed at the Kirishima International Music Festival (Japan) under the guidance of People's Artist Dang Thai Son.
At the announcement ceremony of “Musical Memories”, the musician explained the reason for choosing the name of the mini album: “For me, memories, memories and images in my mind are always very clear. Even though I am busy working and studying in a foreign country, the past images of my childhood and youth are always clearly present in my mind. And I want to use music to recall, to depict and retell those images so that listeners can feel them.”
Instead of the familiar way of Vietnamese musicians and music producers, which is to write songs and find famous, "hot" singers to easily popularize their names and works, Cuong Tong did something different when he returned to Vietnam, officially "debuting" as a rookie in the country's music industry.
He introduced the mini album with 5 instrumental works that are consistent like a movie about a musical journey with full nuances and emotional progression. These are works composed by himself: "Love Waltz", "Listen to the Sea", "Fire", "Autumn" and "Childhood Memories". According to the 8x musician, each work represents an element in the philosophy of the five elements: Metal, Water, Fire, Wood, Earth and together are the journey of the artist's emotional experiences.
If “Love Waltz” marks a very pure and passionate love of young people, mixed with a fast, cheerful but still extremely passionate rhythm, the song “Listen to the Sea” brings feelings of separation, distance and longing.
The work "Fire" continues to contain the explosion and surge of a troubled inner self, while the song "Autumn" is like a progression in emotions, towards peaceful shores.
“Childhood memories” is compared by the musician to the Earth element in his series of works because it is a return to the peaceful memories of childhood and love for the homeland.
Just like the journey of studying and working of musician Cuong Tong when he decided to return to his hometown and establish the music production company Zebra Entertainment, opening a new chapter in his musical career, the work "Childhood Memories" is a comprehensive suite covering all four previous works, with a lot of emotions, richness in musical imagery as well as composition techniques.
What is special is that all five of these works were recorded and produced by him at his Zebra Music Studio. In addition, the musician, who is also the producer, also showed his investment and willingness to spend on the product. He made five music videos (MVs) throughout like a movie with cinematic quality. Although the form is conveyed on the cover of the MV, the image is only a thin layer, a "seasoning" for a sumptuous, high-quality musical feast. For Cuong Tong, sound and music carve out the portrait of the artist and create a statement in each person's style.
People's Artist Quang Tho commented on "Hoi anh Am nhac": "I listen and enjoy the musician's works with 5 works in the album combined in a unified whole throughout like a story, an emotional journey to become a large, comprehensive work. It is no longer a mini work as Cuong Tong modestly admits, but has become an instrumental work with artistic value that not every musician can achieve. There is fullness, neatness and the tone of the times. With this mini album, Cuong Tong will go even further in the future."
The 5 works in the album are combined in a unified whole throughout like a story, an emotional journey to become a large, comprehensive work. It is no longer a mini work as Cuong Tong modestly admits, but has become an instrumental work with artistic value that not every musician can achieve. There is fullness, neatness and the tone of the times. With this mini album, Cuong Tong will go even further in the future.
People's Artist Quang Tho
Sharing at the announcement ceremony of “Hoi Anh Am Nhac”, musician Cuong Tong said that he had the full ability to make a grand album with more instrumental works, but did not choose to do that, but instead cherished and condensed his emotions in 5 works with a total duration of 20 minutes - a suitable, appropriate and smart calculation in his instrumental mini album.
According to the 8x musician, he spent 10 years composing these five works. Particularly, the work “Autumn” was composed by Cuong Tong in 2024, the remaining four works were selected from a collection of 24 works he composed for piano while studying at the China Academy of Music.
He said: “20 minutes is enough to tell a complete and effective musical story and enough for the audience to still want to enjoy the work. It is a journey of 10 years of learning, experience and the essence of hard work”, the musician shared.
In a highly competitive music market like China, over the past 13 years, a Vietnamese musician and music producer like Cuong Tong has caused many surprises by achieving many successes, finding a solid foothold and being sought after with many attractive invitations from music producers in other countries.
He participated in music production, music director, and song composition for more than 8 Chinese blockbuster TV series and movies, such as "Painted Skin", "Tu La Truong", "Dai Anh Hung"; produced soundtracks and theme songs for the movie "Three Kingdoms"... Cuong Tong is also the producer and arranger for nearly 80 songs of diverse styles and genres that have been released, and is also the producer of game music and music for major sporting events in China.
According to musician Cuong Tong and his partner Hoang Hong Nuong, who is also his management partner, he has the opportunity and is very lucky to have a very strong production team in Vietnam and China, from artists, studios and the entire film music and sound production system. The musician hopes and wishes to have the opportunity to cooperate with directors and domestic artists on film music, instrumental music and songs to "be able to bring good and interesting things to breathe new life into Vietnamese film music".
Musician Cuong Tong (Tong Duc Cuong) was born in 1987, the son of musician Duc Minh - author of hundreds of songs, instrumental music, and stage music. He is currently a pianist, composer, and music producer. In 1996, he studied at the Hanoi Conservatory of Music (now the Vietnam National Academy of Music) under the guidance of Meritorious Artist Nguyen Huu Tuan and Professor, Doctor, People's Teacher Tran Thu Ha.
In 2008, he received a full scholarship from the Vietnamese government to study at the China Conservatory of Music, receiving specialized training in piano performance, composition, arrangement, and jazz. In 2017, he graduated with a Master's degree in Piano Performance from the China Conservatory of Music.
Musician Cuong Tong has received many high awards at the 2027 Autumn Concour Competition (Vietnam) and the 3rd CCTV National Piano and Violin Competition (China); participated in many major performances with the China Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra, Tianjin Symphony Orchestra and performed at the Kirishima International Music Festival (Japan) under the guidance of People's Artist Dang Thai Son.
Source: https://nhandan.vn/hoi-anh-am-nhac-su-tro-ve-an-tuong-cua-mot-nhac-si-nghe-si-piano-nha-san-xuat-am-nhac-tai-nang-post926658.html
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