Conductor Dong Quang Vinh discovered his passion for music at the age of 12 during a performance at the Narita stage in Japan, where elderly audience members bowed deeply to greet him - a gesture that left a lasting impression and shaped the course of his life.

A childhood steeped in music

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Conductor Dong Quang Vinh was born into a musical family and began playing the bamboo flute at age nine.

Dong Quang Vinh was born into a family with deep musical roots. His father was a cellist who later transitioned into performing and crafting traditional Vietnamese instruments, while his mother is a dan tranh (Vietnamese zither) artist.

“The first instrument I ever touched was a T’rung made by my father. But the first formal instrument I studied was the bamboo flute when I was nine,” he shared. His choice was inspired by martial arts films, where wandering heroes often carried a flute.

“To this day, I think it was a brilliant decision. The bamboo flute is compact, easy to carry, low-maintenance, and playing it is great for the breath - almost like a form of yoga,” he said.

Vinh didn’t stop at the bamboo flute. He later picked up the dan nguyet (moon lute) as a secondary instrument while studying at the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

“I wanted to explore more - broader is better. The bamboo flute is wind, the T’rung is percussion, and the dan nguyet is plucked string - each with its own soul,” he explained.

A life-changing moment on stage in Japan

Vinh said the moment he truly discovered his passion for music came when he performed on stage in Narita, Japan, at the age of 12.

“The Japanese audience was so quiet you could hear a fly buzz. Elderly people bowed deeply to a 12-year-old boy. I was amazed by the respect they showed for Vietnamese music,” he recalled emotionally.

That experience completely changed his view of traditional music. “Before that, I thought folk music was complicated and inaccessible - you had to learn about all these instruments and folk styles, whereas pop music was catchier. But when I saw how Vietnamese music was respected abroad, I resolved to pursue it and share our culture with the world,” he said.

Becoming a conductor and forging his own path

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Founder of the New Vitality Orchestra, Dong Quang Vinh creates a space for music students and blends genres from symphony to rap and pop.

Dong Quang Vinh’s career took a major turn when he moved to Shanghai, China, at age 20 to study. His first performance as a conductor wasn’t in Vietnam, but at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

What makes Dong Quang Vinh unique as a conductor is his fusion of traditional Vietnamese instruments with Western symphonic orchestras. This concept was inspired by his family background, where he often saw his father - a former cellist turned traditional instrument craftsman - and his mother - a dan tranh artist - performing together.

“I grew up witnessing the harmonious blend of East and West. I never saw boundaries between genres. I listen to rock, rap, classical music - and I can analyze the beauty in each,” he said.

The challenges of blending traditional and symphonic music

Vinh acknowledges that integrating Vietnamese folk instruments with Western orchestras is extremely challenging. “It’s like designing an ao dai to wear with a suit - how do you make it elegant, not awkward? Combining traditional music with any other style is always a big challenge,” he said.

To achieve this, a conductor must thoroughly understand the essence of each instrument. “The dan day can’t do chromatic runs like a violin, so we use the violin to handle those parts - or try to make the cello mimic the dan day’s vibrato. It takes hours of in-depth research,” he explained.

The payoff, however, is extraordinary. He recalled a performance in Tokyo where Vietnam’s folk song Beo dat may troi was blended with Japan’s Sakura. “The audience gave a 15-minute standing ovation. The Japanese are very discerning; they’ve seen the world’s top orchestras. Their warm reception of Vietnamese culture overwhelmed me.”

The New Vitality Orchestra: his musical brainchild

In addition to conducting the symphony orchestra at the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, Dong Quang Vinh founded his own ensemble called the New Vitality Orchestra.

“My main work with the state orchestra involves opera, ballet, and classical symphonies. But I still wanted to do something for Vietnamese music,” he explained.

The New Vitality Orchestra gives students and recent graduates a space to train and perform. More importantly, it doesn’t limit itself to one genre - it merges symphonic music with rap, pop, and more.

“It’s like dual-wielding swords for me. Sometimes I use one, sometimes the other, sometimes both - and sometimes I sharpen them together so they’re even more powerful,” he said with a smile.

Huy Minh