Meritorious Artist Minh Chính (on the right) in a role.
The "keeper of the flame" for the art of Tuong (Vietnamese classical opera).
"Dedicated to art, an exemplary leader, always inspiring the younger generation of artists"... That's how many people describe Meritorious Artist Minh Chính, Deputy Director of the Lam Son Thanh Hoa Cultural and Arts Center.
Báo Thanh Hóa•04/05/2026Born and raised in Dinh Lien commune, now Yen Dinh commune, the dream of becoming a traditional opera artist burned brightly in him from a young age. After graduating from high school, he took the entrance exam and was accepted into Thanh Hoa High School of Arts.
Meritorious Artist Minh Chính shared: "When I was a child, whenever I heard that a traditional opera troupe was coming to perform in my locality, I would be so excited that I couldn't sleep all night. While watching, I always carefully observed every gesture and movement and listened attentively to every lyric sung by the artists on stage. That passion grew over the years. Every day I regularly followed traditional folk music programs on the Voice of Vietnam radio station and took advantage of every free moment to practice singing and dancing. Despite the hardships of my childhood, I always lived innocently, nurturing the dream of becoming a professional opera artist."
In 1990, after graduating, he joined the Thanh Hoa Traditional Opera Troupe. With his talent, youthful energy, and enthusiasm, he constantly learned singing, acting, and dancing from senior artists in the troupe and strived wholeheartedly for the art. As a result, he continuously matured in all aspects and was entrusted with many leading roles by the troupe's leadership. To continuously improve his professional skills, he actively participated in professional theater competitions and won many awards, including: Gold Medal for the role of Che Sam in the play "The Story of Two Craft Villages" (2001), Silver Medal for the role of Ta On Binh in the play "Son Hau" (2006), Gold Medal for the role of Le Loi in the play "Thuan Thien Bao Kiem" (2016)...
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Along with pursuing further professional development, he actively participated in youth union activities and earned the trust of the members in his branch. In 1990, he was elected Secretary of the Youth Union Branch of the Thanh Hoa Traditional Opera Troupe. In 2013, he assumed the position of Secretary of the Youth Union of the Department of Culture and Information (now the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Thanh Hoa).
Entering the profession during a difficult period for traditional Vietnamese opera (tuong), in order to make ends meet, besides working with the troupe, he also sang and hosted cultural and entertainment events in the former Thanh Hoa City. His own efforts and perseverance helped him persevere and nurture his love for traditional Vietnamese opera. In 2019, he was honored with the title of Meritorious Artist by the President of Vietnam.
Thanks to his own efforts and the trust of the leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Thanh Hoa Traditional Opera Troupe. From 2020 to the present, he has held many positions such as: Deputy Director of the Thanh Hoa Traditional Arts Theater; Chief of the Office of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Deputy Director of the Lam Son Arts Theater; and Deputy Director of the Lam Son Thanh Hoa Cultural and Arts Center. In each position, he strived to complete his tasks well and enthusiastically "inspired" young artists, especially traditional opera artists.
Driven by a desire to preserve traditional art forms, he also teaches acting classes at the University of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Thanks to his dedicated teaching, many students have graduated and pursued careers in the profession.
Artist Nguyen Cong Hoa (from the Tuong Art Troupe, Lam Son Cultural and Art Center, Thanh Hoa) shared: "Meritorious Artist Minh Chinh was a teacher who not only taught me dance moves, pronunciation, and the distinctive art of Tuong, but also taught me the ethics of an artist. Whenever I encountered difficulties in embodying challenging roles, he always guided me wholeheartedly."
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People's Artist Han Van Hai, Director of the Lam Son Thanh Hoa Cultural and Arts Center, said: "With his burning passion and profound understanding of Tuong (Vietnamese classical opera), he has devoted his heart and soul to teaching generations of young artists. He is always striving to find ways to innovate and bring Tuong closer to the audience while still preserving the 'essence' of this art form. His artistic career is a shining example for young artists to learn from."
Text and photos: Nguyen Cuong
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/nguoi-giu-lua-cho-nbsp-nghe-thuat-tuong-286459.htm
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