Composer and Meritorious Artist Huy Sô has passed away.

(NLĐO) - According to musician Pham Minh Tuan, composer Huy So passed away on April 15 due to old age, at the age of 98.

Composer Huy Sô, whose real name is Huỳnh Sanh Châu (born in 1928), is affectionately called Huy Sô by his colleagues. They call him that because his trumpet playing once awakened the entire war zone. They call him that because the songs he wrote not only resonated through loudspeakers but also echoed in people's hearts, from Phan Thiết – his windy, sandy hometown – all the way to the blood-soaked Trường Sơn Mountains.

He was the man who played the brass trumpet from the age of 17 amidst bombs and bullets, contributing to the defense of Song Quao, Mui Ne, Tanh Linh... He gathered all his love, memories, and losses and transformed them into music, poetry, and stories, as if he feared he would leave without having had the chance to leave behind for the world what he had distilled from his heart.

Composer Huy So

They say he was a musician. But his poetry also stirred emotions. His prose also captivated. There's something rustic, sincere, and gently poignant about him, like a sea breeze rustling through the hair of an old soldier sitting by an old bomb crater, remembering his comrades, those who only exist in his memory.

Composer Huy Sô was a native of Binh Thuan province. He received formal musical training in the North and was then sent to study orchestral conducting at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory (formerly the Soviet Union). His life was a shining example of pure, persistent, and passionate artistic work, with valuable and commendable contributions.

He was born in Phu Trinh, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan province. He joined the revolution in 1945 and relocated to the North in October 1954. During his career, he held various positions: Head of the Military Arts Troupe of Military Region 4 (1965-1970); Editor of Arts and Culture at Radio Station B - Voice of Vietnam (1971-1975); Head of the Thuan Hai Music and Dance Troupe (1976-1980); Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Information (1981-1985); and Vice President of the Thuan Hai Provincial Association of Literature and Arts (1986-1990).

During the war against the US, he was assigned to serve on the battlefield, acting as both an administrator and artistic director in the fierce Quảng Bình war zone. He had the honor of performing with the Army's Performing Arts Troupe of Military Region 5 on many occasions in Hanoi to serve President Ho Chi Minh.

While working as an editor for the Military Mobilization Radio Program of the Voice of Vietnam, he directly composed, edited, and staged many musical performances that had a strong and timely propaganda effect, making a practical contribution to the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country. Some typical works from this period include: "Advancing into Khe Sanh"; "Heroic Con Co Island"; "Crossing the Bridges"; "The Village Names Calling Us On"; "The Labor Song"; "The Song of Those Who Went Away"...

After the war, he returned to his hometown in 1976 and began building the Thuan Hai Song and Dance Troupe from the very beginning, amidst numerous difficulties and shortages. Under his dedicated guidance and that of his colleagues, over time, many generations of singers, dancers, and musicians have made remarkable professional achievements, becoming People's Artists and Meritorious Artists known throughout the country. Some notable names include: People's Artist Dang Hung (1936-2022), People's Artist Minh Man, and People's Artist Thu Van.

He has composed nearly two hundred works praising his homeland, his country, the beloved leader Ho Chi Minh, and the glorious Party, most notably: the choral works "My Homeland in the Windy Sands," "The Call from the Sea and Islands"; the suite set to President Ho Chi Minh's poems "A Life of Restlessness"; and representative songs such as: "Singing About the Spring of the Future," "His Name Lives On," "I Love My Small Island Homeland," "Remembering the Glorious Party," "I Go Planting Trees," "Uncle Ho's Shadow in My Homeland"...

Besides music, he also wrote prose and poetry, researched local culture, and participated in compiling the Binh Thuan Gazetteer. Some of his published works include: the song collection "Forever Like Autumn" (published jointly - 1985); the song collection (with cassette tape) "Singing About the Future Spring" (1997); the short story collections "March Sun" (1987), "Legend of the Flooded Village" (1997), and the poetry collection "Verses That Accompany the Years" (2009).

In the field of research, he has conducted in-depth studies on Cham music, including the Ri Chàprông dance music and the drumming used in traditional rituals of the Cham people of Ninh Thuan - Binh Thuan.

He also wrote hundreds of articles reflecting the upward transformation of his homeland and country; praising shining examples of "good people - good deeds" in everyday life. He was awarded the Duc Thanh Literature and Arts Award by the People's Committee of Binh Thuan province, first time (1992-1995) and fifth time (2012-2017); he was awarded the Medal for the Cause of Vietnamese Literature and Arts (2002) and many other prestigious medals and awards.

In recognition and honor of his outstanding contributions to the field of culture and arts over the past 60 years, on November 28, 2023, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam signed a Decision conferring the title of Meritorious Artist on veteran musician Huy Sô.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhac-si-nsut-huy-so-qua-doi-196250416095600006.htm