Minh Ngoc won the Asian Music Gold Cup with a performance featuring Quan Ho colors.

(Dan Tri) - With the folk song performance "Gui ve Quan ho" with strong Kinh Bac colors, Minh Ngoc - a girl from Bac Ninh - won the Gold Cup in the professional vocal category at the 2025 Asian Arts Festival.

Coming from Kinh Bac region, Minh Ngoc - a young girl with a clear voice, full of Quan Ho - has gradually made her mark from the stage of Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi 2018 to the 2025 Asian Arts Festival in Singapore.

Minh Ngoc won the Gold Cup at the 2025 Asian Arts Festival, an event taking place from July 12 to July 19 in Singapore (Photo: Character provided).

Bringing Quan Ho closer to international friends

The Asia Artist Festival 2025 (AAF) is a large-scale art event held in Singapore, gathering a large number of young artists from many countries. This year's competition attracted more than 2,600 contestants from 14 countries and territories, competing in fields such as vocal music, dance, musical instruments, and general performance...

For the first time participating in an international music competition, Minh Ngoc was the only contestant to show the colors of Vietnamese folk songs and won the Gold Cup with a performance of Quan Ho songs combined with a modern and sophisticated style.

The female singer chose to perform the song "Send Back Quan Ho" by musician Duc Mieng, a piece she performed during her semester exam at school.

Every time she appears on stage, Minh Ngoc impresses with her traditional costumes, combined with a youthful, modern style (Photo: Provided by the character).

Appearing on stage in a pink four-piece outfit and a hand-embroidered scarf designed by designer Cao Minh Tien, Minh Ngoc left an impression at first sight.

“When I stepped onto the stage, without even singing, the music and costumes already made the audience admire,” Minh Ngoc shared.

While many contestants choose opera and perform in English, French, Italian… Minh Ngoc brings a unique breeze to the international stage when performing Quan Ho folk songs in Vietnamese. She combines traditional music with a youthful, modern performance style.

The choice of Quan Ho colors and the meticulous performance from music to images helped Minh Ngoc conquer the international jury at the 2025 Asian Arts Festival and win the highest prize in the participating category.

Minh Ngoc said that before stepping onto the international stage, she received close support from her teacher, Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan. It was Tan Nhan who suggested that her student perform the song Gui ve Quan ho , and directly practiced and edited it carefully to ensure every detail was perfect.

“Ms. Tan Nhan checked my test very carefully before I left for the exam. I am very grateful to have her accompany and encourage me throughout the preparation process,” Minh Ngoc expressed.

Minh Ngoc with her teacher - Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan (left) - who accompanied her in practicing thoroughly before the competition (Photo: Facebook character).

The journey of pursuing music began with a chance singing attempt.

Minh Ngoc's full name is Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, currently a third-year student at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. She is majoring in Vocal Music under the guidance of Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan, Head of the Vocal Music Department of the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Born in the cradle of Quan Ho folk songs, Minh Ngoc's musical path began quite by accident. She said that, at first, she had no intention of pursuing a singing career, but dreamed of becoming an architect, a bank employee or a fashion designer.

The turning point came when Ngoc accidentally saw the recruitment information for the program Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi 2018 and went with her mother to try out. At the casting session led by musician Minh Vy, she chose to perform the tune Buon Bac Buon Dau and was highly appreciated, then successively passed the rounds to win the championship.

Minh Ngoc shared that she aims for the image of a young artist singing folk songs with a fresh spirit, close to the audience (Photo: Character provided).

Minh Ngoc also said that she was fortunate to receive full support from her family in her journey to pursue art. Both her father and mother are music teachers, and her mother has a special passion for directing and organizing performances.

After the Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi contest, Minh Ngoc often traveled between Bac Ninh and Ho Chi Minh City to perform. It was not until she passed the entrance exam to the Vietnam National Academy of Music that she received formal vocal training.

“Before entering the academy, I knew nothing about music theory. Everything had to start from zero, from the first notes. It took me a while to catch up with the basic knowledge of the school,” Ngoc confided.

Don't care about being famous, just want to be loved by the audience

With a clear direction, Minh Ngoc chose to stick with folk songs, especially Bac Ninh Quan Ho - a music genre associated with her childhood.

On social media platforms, she builds the image of a “Quan họ girl” through videos of singing folk songs in the countryside, on the banks of a ditch, wearing a four-panel dress and a small dog.

Minh Ngoc's TikTok account also attracted great public attention, with many singing clips featuring folk songs from three regions reaching millions of views.

In 2024, she released the mini album Ngoc Nu with 6 folk songs, including ancient quan ho melodies, Central and Southern folk songs. The project was loved by the audience because it kept the traditional spirit but had modern, youthful arrangements.

Sharing about her musical direction, Minh Ngoc said she pursues a path of reconciliation between tradition and modernity: "I want to preserve the soul of folk songs, but also have to innovate enough for young people to feel close."

Among those who influenced her style and artistic choices, Minh Ngoc has a lot of affection for singer Cam Ly, who was her coach in the show Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi.

“When I participated in Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi season 2 - 2018, Ms. Cam Ly took care of every outfit and every performance for me. Until now, I still keep in touch with her and musician Minh Vy,” Ngoc said.

Singer Cam Ly (left), Minh Ngoc's coach at Tuyet Dinh Song Ca Nhi season 2, is also her art idol since childhood (Photo: character's Facebook).

When asked about the possibility of moving to the South to expand opportunities, Minh Ngoc frankly said: “If I go to the South, I will have to be more serious because the work there often follows the management company's schedule. Currently, I still prioritize completing my studies in Hanoi. After graduating, I will probably study directing or cultural management, performing while being more proactive in creating artistic products.”

Minh Ngoc is currently a collaborator of the Vietnam Music and Dance Theater (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism). Minh Ngoc has performed in programs welcoming heads of state such as the President of South Korea, the President of Singapore, the Chancellor of Germany, the President of Mongolia, etc.

Besides, she also participated in cultural activities organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for overseas Vietnamese in many countries.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/minh-ngoc-gianh-cup-vang-am-nhac-chau-a-voi-tiet-muc-mang-mau-sac-quan-ho-20250720090325068.htm