Vietnamese singer wins youth musical festival in China

Singer Trần Tùng Anh performs at Qingyin Award - Youth Music Festival 2024 in China. Photo vtv.vn

HÀ NỘI Singer Trần Tùng Anh, renowned for his unique non-binary vocals, has won the first prize in the opera singing category of the Qingyin Award - Youth Music Festival 2024 in China.

The festival was organised by the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music in Hangzhou and sponsored by many Chinese and international music conservatories, art schools and colleges. Around 600 contestants from many countries around the world competed in the event.

The Vietnamese delegation had nine contestants, including the "genderless vocalist" Trần Tùng Anh. Overcoming many strong competitors, Anh won the champion title in the "Youth Opera" category.

He performed a medley of famous Vietnamese classical/chamber music songs for his competition entry, including Xuân Chiến Khu (Spring in the Resistance Zone), Cô Gái Vót Chông (The Girl Who Sharpens Spikes), Cánh Chim Báo Tin Vui (The Birds that Bring Good News), Người Lái Đò Trên Sông Pô Kô (The Ferryman on the Pô Kô River), and Trường Ca Sông Lô (The Epic of the Lô River). Anh arranged and orchestrated the collection himself to suit his unique genderless vocal style and musical approach for the competition.

At the competition, the 29-year-old Vietnamese singer showcased his two natural vocals - his genderless voice and his authentic male voice. Anh said he could have chosen to perform an international song, which might have been more suitable. However, he chose Vietnamese songs because he wanted to bring the essence of Vietnamese chamber music to the international audience.

"I am very proud and happy to have the opportunity to perform Vietnamese songs on the international competition stage and win the highest prize. This is the motivation for me to work harder and contribute more to my profession and future endeavours,” Anh said. ​

Trần Tùng Anh is pictured with his trophy at the Qingyin Award - Youth Music Festival 2024. Photo courtesy of the artist

​The singer from the northern province of Bắc Giang added that he did not expect to win the highest prize in the category.

"I thought I would only get a consolation prize since I was announced as the last recipient. To my surprise, I won the champion title in my competition category. My initial feeling was surprise, and then it gave way to an overflowing happiness. My performance was evaluated as the best and most outstanding!"

Anh dedicated three months to practice and training under the guidance of renowned artist Lan Anh.

He said he was encouraged to compete in the Qingyin Award - Youth Music Festival by pianist Nguyễn Lệ Thuyên Hà, representative of the competition in Việt Nam.

“I am very grateful for teacher Lan Anh's dedication and diligence in mentoring me. I thank pianist Nguyễn Lệ Thuyên Hà for sending the invitation and encouraging me to participate in the competition. This is just the initial success in my journey to explore opera singing. I will need to train and practice much more to pursue the genre of music I'm passionate about and fully discover my own capabilities.”

After the music competition in China, the singer was among representatives from his hometown of Lục Nam District to attend the Youth Union Congress of Bắc Giang Province, held on August 2-3.

Anh has been considered a rare 'phenomenon' in the Vietnamese music scene after his participation in The Voice 2017. In the singing contest, he stunned the coaches with his unique stage performances. Besides having a warm and masculine voice, the singer also possesses the ability to sing in a sweet and soaring female register.

In addition to The Voice, Anh has participated in other TV music programmes such as Tuyệt Đỉnh Song Ca (Duet Perfection), Gương Mặt Thân Quen (Your Face Sounds Familiar) 2019, and created a sensation with his rare castrato vocals.

Over the years, Anh has continued to go viral on social media with his female-sounding cover songs. The singer was nominated for the 18th Cống Hiến (Devotion) Music Award in 2024 in the category of New Artist of the Year. VNS