Outstanding artists at the National Cheo Festival

With their emotions, talents and enthusiasm, the artists have contributed to the success of the Festival and left a beautiful echo in the hearts of the Cheo lovers. Bac Ninh Newspaper respectfully introduces some of the typical artists at the Festival.

A scene from the play "Thien Menh" of Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre.

Outstanding Artist Quynh Mai

With more than a quarter of a century of professional artistic activities, Meritorious Artist Quynh Mai, whose full name is Pham Thi Mai, was drawn to Cheo very early. Her father taught her the first Cheo tunes. In 1994, Quynh Mai was admitted to the Ha Bac Cheo Troupe with the highest score and became a promising member. From her father as her first teacher to studying at the University of Theatre and Cinema, artist Quynh Mai continued to be nurtured under the guidance of big names in the Cheo village such as People's Artist Tran Bang, People's Artist Doan Thanh Binh, People's Artist Diem Loc...

Meritorious Artist Quynh Mai as Linh Tu Quoc Mau Tran Thi Dung.

At the peak of her career, artist Quynh Mai always keeps the passion for her profession, eager to contribute more to the public who love traditional art. At this year's National Cheo Festival, she took on the role of Linh Tu Quoc Mau Tran Thi Dung in the play "Thien Menh", scripted by Hoang Thanh Du, directed by People's Artist Ta Quang Lam. The role of Linh Tu Quoc Mau is a complex historical figure, requiring the actor to have stage presence, professional maturity and emotional experience. What is valuable in the way artist Quynh Mai performs is the internalization of the role. She does not show off her singing technique but focuses on expressing emotions, every look, gesture, and verse aims to portray the mindset of a noble but lonely woman, brave but multifaceted.

In the climaxes, Quynh Mai kept the rhythm, transforming from inner torment to forgiveness and generosity, making the audience not only moved by the character's fate but also understand the historical stature of the woman "behind the throne". The restraint, subtlety in expression and the smooth, correct singing and speaking technique helped the character Linh Tu Quoc Mau become lively, soulful and rich in symbolism. It is the combination of talent, experience and professional emotions that created a Linh Tu Quoc Mau that convinced both professionals and the public, helping artist Quynh Mai to be honored as an outstanding artist at the National Cheo Festival in 2025.

Sharing after receiving the award, artist Quynh Mai was moved: “During the time practicing for the role, I was sick and encountered many obstacles. Luckily, on the day of the performance, my health was better and I performed quite well. I am truly grateful to the audience and the Jury for their encouragement and affection for me.” Not only passionate about her artistic dedication, she also worries about the lives of her fellow artists. “What I wish most is for the lives of fellow artists to be cared for and treated better so that we can feel secure in our commitment and passion for our profession,” artist Quynh Mai shared.

Best Actor in National Defense

Since his days as a student at Thai Binh College of Culture and Arts, the young man from the rice fields, Bui Quoc Phong (Quoc Phong), has shown his outstanding cheo qualities with a strong, soulful voice and a confident, creative stage presence. After graduating, he worked at the Hanoi Cheo Theatre and quickly established his name with many memorable roles. He won the Gold Medal at the National Professional Cheo Theatre Festival in 2009 for his role as King Quang Trung in the play “Ngoc Han Cong Chua”.

Meritorious Artist of National Defense (right) and colleagues at the closing ceremony and awards ceremony.

After that, he won many awards through typical roles such as: Thi Sach in the play "Vuong Nu Me Linh"; Quang in the play "Canh Chim Trang Trong Dem"... With each role, artist Quoc Phong knows how to innovate the character while still maintaining the standards of traditional Cheo, rich in emotion and creativity, so he conquered both professionals and audiences. Playwright Mai Van Lang once commented: "Besides impressive roles, Quoc Phong possesses a golden, resonant, resonant, heroic, round and clear voice, containing a soul of Cheo that is fluttering and wistful".

As a famous and familiar face in the Cheo village, at the 2025 National Cheo Festival, Meritorious Artist Quoc Phong continued to affirm his name with the dual role of General Le Hoan in the play "The burden of mountains and rivers" directed by People's Artist Thuy Mui. This is a role that is heavy on the inner self, requiring the artist to fully express the qualities of an emperor who is both resolute and kind, and values loyalty and respect for the people. With extensive experience, Quoc Phong successfully portrayed the image of Le Hoan - a hero of the times, bringing the audience from admiration to emotion. The role of Le Hoan brought Meritorious Artist Quoc Phong the award for best actor.

Artist Quoc Phong confided: “Each role has its own color, destiny, and personality, and each time I step on stage, I get to live my passion to the fullest. When playing the role of Le Hoan, in addition to the serious training process, I also learned a lot when acting with People's Artist Thu Hoai, a veteran artist with a lot of experience in the role of Queen Mother Duong Van Nga. Thanks to the inner strength, learning and support from the director and the artists in the troupe, I was able to excellently complete the role. The encouragement of the Bac Ninh audience was also the motivation for me to give my all on stage.”

Currently, Meritorious Artist Quoc Phong also holds the role of Deputy Director of Hanoi Cheo Theatre. Shouldering two important responsibilities, Artist Quoc Phong shares more pressure but it is also the motivation for him to continue to strive and inspire the next generation of artists to follow in his footsteps.

Phung The Quynh Gold Medal

"Nguyen Van Cu - Youth with Great Ambition" of the Army Cheo Theatre is a Cheo play honoring revolutionary heroism in the early days of national liberation, written by author Le The Song and directed by People's Artist Vu Tu Long, Director of the Army Cheo Theatre. The work is one of two excellent plays awarded the Gold Medal at this year's Festival.

Colleagues congratulate artist Phung The Quynh (far left).

Having been involved in the art of Cheo for more than a decade, taking on the lead role of Nguyen Van Cu in the play “Nguyen Van Cu - Youth with Great Ambition” was still a big challenge for artist Phung The Quynh. His pressure was to portray a revolutionary leader who was both steadfast, intelligent, emotional and full of courage. To fully play the role, The Quynh spent a lot of time reading documents, researching the life, style and ideology of the late General Secretary. The artist shared: “The most difficult thing is the dialogue, because each sentence contains profound ideology and political significance. Just one wrong word can affect the role and stature of the character.”

However, the role of Nguyen Van Cu played by Phung The Quynh on the stage of the National Cheo Festival this year moved the audience with his restrained, powerful and emotional performance. The portrait, youthful will and part of the revolutionary life along with the feelings, dreams and ideals of comrade Nguyen Van Cu were vividly and realistically portrayed by artist The Quynh. In particular, the final scene when Nguyen Van Cu had a dialogue with the French officer in Con Dao prison left a deep impression on the audience. With his determined eyes, strong dialogue and confident demeanor, Nguyen Van Cu made the enemy bow their heads in admiration. There, the audience not only saw the intelligence and courage of a revolutionary, but also felt the light of faith and the indomitable spirit of the nation.

Phung The Quynh, a young man of the Dao ethnic group in Tuyen Quang, came to the art of Cheo through an unexpected fate. In 2009, his talent was discovered by Meritorious Artist Vinh Thuan and the artists of the Tuyen Quang Cheo Troupe, who guided and passed on the passion for Cheo. After a thorough study at the Thai Binh College of Culture and Arts, in 2012, The Quynh officially worked at the Army Cheo Theater - where he truly matured and made his mark in the profession. From the role of Grand Tutor Tran Thu Do in the Cheo play "Doi Luan Anh Hung" (National Silver Medal 2016) to the role of Nguyen Van Cu (National Gold Medal 2025), Phung The Quynh has affirmed his mettle and professional depth with steady progress on the path of Cheo art.

Thanh Lam

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/nhung-nghe-si-tieu-bieu-tai-lien-hoan-cheo-toan-quoc-postid430295.bbg