Emeritus artist Dang Duong. (Photo: Hai Duong newspaper)

Artist Dang Duong was born in 1974 in the northern province of Hai Duong. He studied at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music and was named Emeritus Artist in 2016. Duong now heads the Voice of Vietnam’s ensemble. Duong showed an aptitude for music at an early age.

“I was interested in the music programs on the Voice of Vietnam and was especially keen on the revolutionary songs sung on VOV. At the age of 7, I could sing many songs. One unforgettable memory of my music career was a performance trip to Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago. On the night of the performance, it rained heavily, but the island soldiers still stayed to hear the music and meet the artists,” Duong recalled.

When he was still a student, Duong recorded a number of songs which were broadcast on the Voice of Vietnam. After graduating from the Academy of Music, he worked as a music lecturer, then joined the Voice of Vietnam’s ensemble. Dang Duong is adored by many. 

“I’m a war veteran from Ha Long city, and I really love listening to revolutionary songs performed by Dang Duong. My favorite song by Dang Duong is “Love song”, written by Hoang Viet,” said Hong Dang of Ha Long city in Quang Ninh province, a regular listeners of VOV’s music programs.

Dang Duong is still faithful to chamber and classical music, which are less popular these days. Some of the songs that established his name in Vietnamese music are “Uncle Ho, an immense love”, “The vitality of Truong Sa”, and “Twinkle stars”.

“I have a great passion for traditional music and still pursue it. I had to learn a lot about the songs from books and documentaries. It requires daily practice. You have to exercise your voice and techniques and have a good background knowledge in order to perform a song really well.”

Dang Duong was invited to perform at the Seoul Music Festival in 2005. In 2018, he won the prestigious Dedicated Music Award for his contribution to Vietnamese music.