People's Artist Quang Tho: "Mr. Trung Kien's voice is still deeply imprinted in me"

(Dan Tri) - People's Artist Quang Tho revealed that since he was a 6th grade student in Quang Ninh, he was captivated by the voice of People's Artist Trung Kien on the radio - who later became his respected colleague.

Born in 1939 in Kien Xuong, Hung Yen (former Thai Binh ), People's Artist Trung Kien is the son of revolutionary Nguyen Danh Doi.

He is a great name in Vietnamese music , especially in the red music and chamber music genres, with immortal pieces such as: The Country is Full of Joy , The Train Driver , Love Song , Meeting on the Top of Truong Son , Hello Heroic Ma River , Gifts of the Month and Years for You,...

People's Artist Trung Kien (1939-2021) was Vietnam's leading tenor, as well as an exemplary teacher and a giant of the country's vocal music (Photo: Organizing Committee).

Not only a singer, People's Artist Trung Kien is also a devoted teacher, guiding many generations of famous artists: People's Artist Quoc Hung, Meritorious Artist Dang Duong, Trong Tan, Lan Anh, Phuong Nga, Bich Hong...

He was once Deputy Minister of Culture and Information, and was also a professor, writing many vocal textbooks from intermediate to university level, becoming the training foundation for Vietnamese vocal music.

In 2021, People's Artist Trung Kien passed away at his home due to old age and poor health, at the age of 82.

Throughout his life, People's Artist Trung Kien was a giant of Vietnamese vocal music. Paying tribute to him is not only the sentiment of his students but also a worthy recognition of an exemplary talent and personality of an artist, so that today's and future generations can continue that musical legacy.

People's Artist Quang Tho (middle) and People's Artist Quoc Hung (right) share memories about the artistic journey of the late People's Artist Trung Kien (Photo: Manh Nguyen).

At the introduction of the free art program in tribute to the late People's Artist Trung Kien - Forever Songs - on the morning of November 7 in Hanoi , People's Artist Quang Tho - who has been associated with People's Artist Trung Kien for many years - shared profound memories of his respected teacher, friend and colleague:

"I am a friend and colleague of Mr. Trung Kien. I have heard him sing on Voice of Vietnam Radio since the 60s. I still remember clearly the songs he performed when I was in grade 6-7 in Quang Ninh.

Those were songs about the South fighting to regain peace, compositions by musician Tran Kiet Tuong, especially Immortal Love Songs by musician Hoang Viet. His heroic tenor voice is still deeply imprinted in my mind"…

From the emotional sharing of People's Artist Quang Tho, the image of People's Artist Trung Kien emerges not only as a talented artist but also as a simple, modest person, always having deep affection for his students.

People's Artist Trung Kien's devotion to his students is even more evident through the memories shared by Meritorious Artist Lan Anh.

"I was lucky to study with Mr. Trung Kien. To me, he was both a teacher and a father. When I was still poor and hadn't performed much, he even gave me money. To him, it might have been a small amount, but to me, it was extremely valuable.

He did not praise me directly in front of me, but often talked about me to others, making me understand that he had special feelings for me. My success today is largely thanks to him, a valuable asset for life," Meritorious Artist Lan Anh expressed.

At the event, Meritorious Artist Lan Anh recounted memories of her teacher - People's Artist Trung Kien (Photo: Manh Nguyen).

With the great contributions of People's Artist Trung Kien, People's Artist Quoc Hung, Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, could not hide his regret at not having had the opportunity to organize a concert to honor the late artist while he was still alive.

"Over the years, we have cherished the idea of ​​organizing a music night to honor our teacher. About 8 years ago, the Vocal Music Department had made a detailed plan, from the script, song distribution, arrangement, orchestration to stage design. However, when preparing to perform, our teacher had to go to the emergency room, so the gratitude night had to be postponed.

About 1-2 years later, we restarted the project but he continued to be seriously ill and unfortunately passed away. His passing had a profound impact on our spirit because Mr. Trung Kien and Mr. Quang Tho were the pillars of the department,” People’s Artist Quoc Hung confided.

After many years of planning, the Vocal Music Department, Vietnam National Academy of Music, has just been able to carry out a program to honor the great contributions of People's Artist Trung Kien to the country's vocal music.

The song "The Forever Lyrics" gathers many excellent students of People's Artist Trung Kien such as: People's Artist Quang Tho, People's Artist Quoc Hung, Meritorious Artist Dang Duong, Meritorious Artist Lan Anh, Meritorious Artist Tan Nhan... along with singers Trong Tan, Anh Tho, Bich Hong, Le Anh Dung, Nguyen Vu, Khanh Ly, Thang Long... and many pianists.

The program is divided into 3 parts: The origin of classical vocal music , Revolutionary music flow and Romantic, contemporary music. The concert is free of tickets and takes place on the evening of November 16 at the Vietnam National Academy of Music (Hanoi).

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giai-tri/nsnd-quang-tho-giong-hat-cua-thay-trung-kien-van-in-sau-trong-toi-20251108094809330.htm