People's Artist Quế Trân follows in her father's footsteps, keeping the flame of traditional Vietnamese opera alive, revealing little-known aspects of her life.

Shining brightly as Princess Thien Kieu in "White Plum Blossoms," Que Tran is a representative face of traditional Vietnamese opera. As the daughter of Thanh Tong, she belongs to the fifth generation of the renowned Minh To family.

Appearing on The Khang Show, Que Tran impressed with her youthful and gentle image, a far cry from the common stereotypes surrounding the title of People's Artist. Although she was only awarded the title in 2024 when she was over 40 years old, her artistic journey spanned from childhood, a steadfast connection to the Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) stage.

Born in 1981, Que Tran is the daughter of Thanh Tong – a legend of traditional Vietnamese opera. She belongs to the fifth generation of the Minh To family, a lineage that has made significant contributions to shaping and developing this traditional art form. Born into an artistic environment, the female artist was exposed to the stage from the age of 4 and officially pursued a professional performing career from the age of 8.

Sharing her thoughts on receiving the prestigious title at such a young age, Que Tran said it was the result of a long process of tireless dedication. "Hearing the title, many people think that artists must be older, but I started singing very early and have been involved with the stage almost my entire life," she expressed.

Outside of the spotlight, Quế Trân leads a rather simple everyday life. When she has a performance schedule, she focuses on practicing and meticulously preparing for each role. On her days off, the artist usually starts her morning with a meal with her mother, then practices her vocals, cooks, or meets up with friends. This relaxed pace of life helps her balance her mind after stressful working hours.

Recently, Que Tran has also been involved in managing her family's vegetarian restaurant. Whenever she has free time, she often personally greets customers. This job not only provides new experiences but also gives her more opportunities to meet audiences outside of the stage.

Throughout her career, the actress has made her mark through a variety of roles, from traditional opera to social reformed opera. Notable characters include Princess Thien Kieu in the play "White Plum Blossoms," Ut Chom Chom, and Ho Uyen Anh. In particular, her role as Princess Thien Kieu earned her a gold medal at the Tran Huu Trang Award at a very young age.

Recalling this memory, Que Tran said that her father was a judge at the time and always maintained absolute impartiality. He even gave his daughter lower scores to avoid being accused of favoritism. Despite this, she still excelled and won the top prize, thereby affirming her abilities before the professionals and the public.

Que Tran is very selective when choosing roles. She doesn't accept a role if she feels she's not suitable enough. There was a time when the actress researched a role of a mentally ill person, even visiting a hospital to observe the reality, but ultimately refused because she wasn't confident enough to fully portray the character.

According to Que Tran, each type of Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) has its own challenges. While classical opera demands precision and meticulousness in every movement, social Cai Luong requires psychological depth and a performance style that is close to real life. It is this diversity that makes this art form so appealing.

After Thanh Tong's death, Que Tran and her colleagues restored his outstanding works such as "The Poem of the Horse's Saddle" and "The Great Viet Proclamation" to commemorate and continue his artistic legacy. This is also how she contributes to preserving the identity of traditional Vietnamese opera.

The late People's Artist Thanh Tong: From "prodigy" to "commander" of ancient cai luong tuong Hoàng Phúc16:22:05 15/03/2023Artist Thanh Tong is the fourth descendant of a cult art family. Living with music, drums and small lyrics, singing boi seems to have been deeply attached to the male artist's childhood. From this solid foundation, he became a famous artist and was dubbed the "King of Cai Luong...