'If true love knocks on my door, I will open my heart.'
- How do you feel when viewers still remember you from the TV series "The Sky Ahead"?
- The sky ahead is perhaps a very beautiful part of my youthful memories.
Whenever someone mentions the film or asks about my role from back then, I still feel happy and emotional. At the time, I couldn't have imagined that the film would have such enduring appeal.
Even now, some viewers still meet me in real life and jokingly ask, "Thao, have you found your bicycle yet?" Every time that happens, I just laugh. My role was very small, but the audience still remembers it after all these years. For me, that's a great source of happiness.
- If there were a suitable role or artistic project currently available, would you be willing to return?
- I'm ready if I come across a suitable role or artistic project. For me, being able to work in the arts, to live with my passion and the joy of creation, is always something precious.
Currently, I dedicate most of my time to the pipa. Teaching, research, creating, developing new pieces, making and repairing pipa, and even participating in the improvement and crafting of the instrument, have taken up almost all of my time.
Sometimes I still think how wonderful it would be if there were a few more hours in a day.
- How is your life now?
- My life is quite busy but also interesting. I frequently work with students, orchestras, colleagues, and participate in various artistic programs.
Besides my professional work, I also enjoy being creative in many other areas. I can sit for hours composing, researching, making and repairing musical instruments, and then switch to sewing and designing clothes for my mother.
I always feel like my days fly by, and there's always something new to learn and discover .
- By choosing to live a single life, have you ever felt lonely?
Yes, actually. I often feel lonely.
But it wasn't a loneliness of misery or despair. Perhaps it was when I was immersed in music that I felt the loneliest, a beautiful, sometimes haunting, loneliness.
In moments of creativity, the artist almost forgets everything around them to live entirely in their inner world . I accept and cherish that solitude, because it is a part of the life I chose from the beginning.
People see a lot of positive energy in me, and that's a blessing. But the reality of life isn't always rosy.
I always try to stay optimistic. If I feel sad, I only allow myself to be sad for a little while, then I have to get up and move on.
The more responsibilities I have towards my family, students, and loved ones, the more positive I find myself living. Only when I am strong and stable can I truly spread goodness to others.
- Are you still open to romantic relationships?
Honestly, love is a luxury for me.
I have always chosen to live with love, selflessness, and tolerance for those around me. But in some way, I still feel lost and adrift.
Currently, I'm fine with living alone. I accept my own choices and believe that everyone has their own destiny. In relationships, besides love, compatibility and fate are also necessary.
If love ever knocks on my door, I'll still be open to it. But it has to be a connection strong enough for us to understand, respect, and walk together on the road ahead. If I haven't found that yet, I still find my current life fulfilling and precious.
- What is most important for creating harmony and connection between two people in a relationship?
The most important thing is sincerity, understanding, and honesty.
To have a long-lasting relationship, you must first understand each other and be able to put yourself in the other person's shoes. People can talk a lot about love or relationships, but ultimately, the outcome is the clearest answer.
I believe that the best things begin with sincerity, honesty, and the ability to understand each other.
'Dedicated to the pipa'
Looking back on more than two decades of dedication to the pipa, what do you think is the most valuable thing that music has brought to your life?
- More than two decades dedicated to the pipa (Chinese lute) is not a very long time, but it's not a short one either. The most valuable thing music has given me is that it has helped me to live authentically.
When I was young, I simply thought I was learning to play the pipa because I loved music, and that later I would become a pipa teacher and live a peaceful life. I never imagined that the pipa would become an inseparable part of my life, accompanying me throughout my journey of growing up and pursuing my career.
Today I realize that playing the pipa is not just a profession, but an integral part of my being. I pour my joys, sorrows, anxieties, and happiness into the music of my instrument. There are things that cannot be expressed in words, so I tell them through music. Therefore, the journey of playing the pipa is also the journey of my life.
During my performances and teaching, I've received much feedback from audiences, students, and lovers of traditional music. Many people say they find empathy, peace, or very personal emotions when listening to the pipa. These things strengthen my belief in the value and vitality of this instrument. I believe that no matter how times change, the pipa will always hold a worthy place in the hearts of music lovers.
- Did you gain more or sacrifice more?
I think I received more than I expected.
My more than twenty years dedicated to traditional Vietnamese music and the pipa haven't always been smooth sailing. There have been difficulties, pressures, and choices where I've had to prioritize art over many personal needs. But I've never considered it a sacrifice in the sense of loss.
Traditional Vietnamese music is not just a profession, but a part of my life. I've always felt a connection to traditional music and have an unconditional love for the pipa (Chinese lute). That's why I don't worry too much about gains or losses.
I would like to dedicate myself to this instrument, to traditional Vietnamese music. To live with my passion, to contribute to traditional art, and to be accompanied by the pipa throughout my life has been a great gift.
Many colleagues and students often jokingly say that she "eats, sleeps, and breathes music"...
- Everyone who knows me, from colleagues and friends to students, has heard the humorous saying that I "eat, sleep, and breathe music." Whenever people tease me like that, I just laugh, because if I think about it carefully, it's not wrong at all.
My home, my car, even my bed—all feature the pipa. It hangs on the wall, sits on a chair, and lies on the floor. I take it with me wherever I go. After more than 20 years of dedication, the pipa has become my companion, my reason for living, and a part of my soul.
- In your artistic journey, what milestone or achievement makes you feel the most proud and emotional?
- If I had to name a milestone that makes me most proud and emotional, it would probably be the Youth Union's art program.
- The special thing about the program doesn't lie in my personal success, but in the fact that we brought together 133 pipa artists from all over the country and many countries around the world to share the same stage. This is an unprecedented number in the history of the pipa in Vietnam and has been recognized as a Vietnamese record.
What moved me most was witnessing so many generations of artists coming together. On stage that day were People's Artists, Meritorious Artists, lecturers, performing artists, students, and even Vietnamese artists living abroad, from performing arts and teaching organizations across the country.
I've had the opportunity to perform on many big stages both domestically and internationally, but for me personally, "Youth Union" is a special milestone and perhaps the most memorable achievement in my artistic career.
Thank you for the conversation!
Source: https://tienphong.vn/nghe-si-dieu-thao-toi-co-don-post1850351.tpo
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