Traditional opera artist Buu Khanh has passed away.

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper, Phi Hung, the son of artist Buu Khanh, sadly announced that his father passed away at approximately 11 PM on November 16th in Hue after a period of battling illness. The family is currently holding a funeral for the renowned traditional opera singer in Hue.

Artist Buu Khanh (real name Vo Buu Khanh, born in 1954) is the younger brother of the late artist Buu Truyen. He was born into a family with a tradition of classical Vietnamese opera (tuong) and traditional theater (hat boi). The artistic atmosphere in his family helped him to quickly become familiar with the rhythm, movements, and discipline of classical Vietnamese opera.

Artist Buu Khanh: A lifetime dedicated to the stage

From the age of eight, he studied at Minh To Children's Theatre - a cradle for training many generations of Southern Vietnamese classical theatre artists. This is where he honed his singing, hand and footwork, and performance style. Later, Buu Khanh worked with many troupes, including Minh To and Huynh Long - two famous units that contributed to shaping the face of Southern Vietnamese classical theatre for many decades.

Many viewers are saddened by the passing of artist Buu Khanh.

Photo: Tl

In his youth, he played leading roles, later transitioning to character roles requiring advanced acting and technical skill. Many artists in the industry recognize him as meticulous in every movement, always upholding the standards of traditional craftsmanship.

In recent years, although no longer actively participating in the troupe, artist Buu Khanh still appears in traditional opera performances, festivals, and programs requiring the participation of veteran traditional opera artists. Colleagues say that despite his declining health, he still strives to maintain his profession, support performing groups, and mentor the younger generation.

Artists who worked with him described Buu Khanh as having a simple, gentle lifestyle and being very principled in his profession. He was seen as a bridge between traditional opera artists and young actors who are trying to preserve the craft amidst the difficulties facing the traditional opera stage.

In a video posted on YouTube in September 2025, artist Phi Phụng revealed that artist Bửu Khánh and his wife and son recently moved to Huế (his wife's hometown) to renew their personal documents. While there, he suffered from a persistent cough and, upon examination, discovered a tumor in his lung.

Phi Hung, the son of artist Buu Khanh, also shared with Thanh Nien newspaper that in the past, his whole family traveled with Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) troupes for performances, without a stable place to live, so they couldn't obtain personal identification documents. "My mother is 83 years old, a full twelve years older than my father. Now I am the only breadwinner in the family, and life is quite difficult...", he said.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nghe-si-tuong-co-buu-khanh-qua-doi-185251117120119023.htm