Guitar doctor brings Vietnamese music to the world

TPO - “When listening to me play Vietnamese music, international students are often very excited and curious. There are techniques and tones they have never been exposed to, so after the performance they often come to ask more questions to understand better. It is also an interesting way for me to share my culture and encourage them to find their own voice in music.”

That is the sharing of Dr. Tran Tuan An (born 1992, Hanoi ) - who has nearly 20 years of performing on big stages in Asia, Europe and North America and is organizing summer camps for young guitar lovers in Vietnam.

Feed   nurturing the "classical guitar treasure"

Currently, Dr. Tran Tuan An is teaching at 3 universities in Chicago, USA, in charge of the main guitar class along with some auxiliary subjects such as performance skills, guitar history and culture, or group classes. However, each environment has a different focus.

At Northern Illinois University (NIU), in addition to teaching, he is the Artistic Director of the International Guitar Concert Series. At the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), this is a large public university located right in the city, so students come from many diverse backgrounds. He focuses on building a solid foundation and supporting each student to develop according to their own abilities. At Roosevelt University - Chicago College of Performing Arts, the environment is focused on performance. Students spend most of their time practicing and preparing for a professional career, so the pressure is higher and the program is very strict.

The impressive thing about the young doctor is the flexible curriculum design and the emphasis on expressive arts. Dr. An said that he does not impose a rigid framework for everyone but builds the outline based on the general objectives of the subject, the implementation is always adjusted according to the level, needs and career orientation of each student. Some years he meets many new students, other years many students have a solid foundation.

Therefore, in addition to technical training, he also pays great attention to musical interpretation, style, and personal expression - important factors for an artist to mature. His concern for training future mature artists is also the way he both implements and affirms the path he wants to follow for the rest of his life.

Dr. Tran Tuan An and his family at the graduation ceremony and doctoral degree awarding ceremony of Northwestern University, USA.

“From a young age, my parents encouraged me to experience many different fields, from sports , painting to music in addition to cultural subjects at school. Thanks to that, I had the opportunity to freely explore to find what really suited my interests and talents. I soon realized that, to be successful, it is not necessary to be good at math, physics, chemistry or literature, history, geography.

The big turning point came when I won first prize in the national classical guitar competition for teenagers. I felt both happy and affirmed that the guitar was not just a hobby, but the artistic path that I wanted to stick with for the rest of my life,” he recalled.

More importantly, when he performs Vietnamese pieces, students will see the importance of pursuing what they love, and how each artist can assert their own identity instead of just imitating what is already available in the guitar world.

From there, he wanted to contribute to expanding the "classical guitar treasure" so that it is not only limited to European music, but also reflects many different cultures.

“When listening to me play Vietnamese music, students are often very excited and curious. There are techniques and tones they have never been exposed to, so after the performance they often come to ask more questions to understand better. It is also an interesting way for me to share my culture and encourage them to find their own voice in music,” said the guitar doctor.

Dr. Tran Tuan An - who has performed for nearly 20 years on major stages in Asia and North America. Photo: NVCC

"Keeping the soul" in each work

Dr. An said that he did not directly arrange or transcribe Vietnamese music for classical guitar. This work has been done by many talented Vietnamese guitarists and composers. His role is to perform and bring those arrangements closer to audiences at home and abroad.

However, to “keep the soul” in each piece, he must spend time listening and studying Vietnamese traditional musical instruments such as the monochord, zither, t’rung… to learn how to create the characteristic sound color. From there, when playing on the guitar, he can adjust the technique, emphasis, or nuances to evoke the folk spirit within the framework of a Western musical instrument.

“For me, the most important thing is to preserve the spirit and emotion of Vietnamese music in every melody. When bringing it to the classical guitar - a Western instrument, I try to highlight that identity with appropriate techniques and expressions, so that international audiences can feel the familiarity of the guitar and discover the uniqueness of Vietnamese culture,” said Mr. An.





Dr. Tran Tuan An on big stages.

His concerts often feature contemporary composers. Therefore, he wishes not only to introduce Vietnamese guitar music to the world, but also to bring new, valuable compositions by international contemporary musicians closer to the public.

With musical storytelling, young artists try to create a bridge that can be easily accepted by the general audience, such as sharing the context of the work, the musician's inspiration, and the reason why the music has special meaning.

“I believe that when music comes from the heart and is set in a clear story, audiences, even those unfamiliar with classical guitar, can still feel and empathize,” he said.

With his love for his homeland, artist Tran Tuan An has organized an annual summer camp in Vietnam to create equal opportunities for young people who love guitar, maintaining an annual playground that both trains in classical guitar techniques and opens a cultural bridge.

The classical guitar summer camp not only attracts Vietnamese students but also students from Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the US. Besides practicing international classical guitar techniques, he also introduces foreign students to traditional musical elements such as how to reproduce the sound of the monochord, drums, or gongs of the Central Highlands on guitar.

The international youth were very excited and learned more about traditional Vietnamese folk songs. Many of them shared that this was a special experience, leaving a deep impression of Vietnamese culture in their music learning journey.

“On stage, students get to listen to me and guest artists perform Vietnamese guitar pieces, or they themselves join in a guitar orchestra. This is a moment of direct cultural dissemination - when Vietnamese melodies resonate alongside international music, creating a natural connection and leaving a strong impression on friends from all over the world,” said Dr. An.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tien-si-guitar-dua-am-nhac-viet-vuon-ra-the-gioi-post1781379.tpo