The "boss" of Vietnamese musical theater revealed: Ho Van Thanh "hidden" for many years?

Musician Ho Van Thanh is one of the prominent names in the field of composing music for Vietnamese theater and cinema. Not only is he a person who contributes music to plays and films, he is also a silent artist through each note of music.

Ho Van Thanh was born and raised in a turbulent social context before 1975, when the student movement was very vibrant and oriented towards ideal values of freedom and peace. It was during this period that he participated in the movement's activities, thereby expressing his love for his homeland and his desire to contribute to society through music.

With a passion for music, Ho Van Thanh studied at the Faculty of National Music at Van Hanh University and the Faculty of Philosophy at the Saigon University of Letters. During this time, he not only acquired professional knowledge but also actively participated in the student movement. After the country was reunified, he continued to pursue a musical career at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music and graduated from the Faculty of Composition in 1986.

One of his first songs was a composition of Duyen Hai's poem "Today's Morning" in 1972, marking the first step in Ho Van Thanh's composing career. Later, musician Nguyen Phu Yen encouraged Ho Van Thanh to pursue a career in composing and studying music professionally.

Musician Ho Van Thanh is one of the pioneers in composing music for plays and films. His compositions are associated with major stages in Ho Chi Minh City, especially the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater, where he has worked for many years. The songs composed by Ho Van Thanh have left a deep impression on the public, such as the song in the play "City of Love", a highlight of the 2021 National Drama Festival.

With the combination of classical music and fresh details, his melodies have created a new musical space, beyond the framework of a play, touching the soul of the audience. In particular, the songs in "City of Love" not only express the thoughts and feelings of the characters but also affirm the strong vitality of people today, with the aspiration to build a more beautiful city.

Musician Ho Van Thanh always focuses on the music being consistent with the plot, highlighting the emotions in each scene or moment of the play. He believes that the musician's task is not only to compose a good piece of music but also to "tie" the music to the plot, helping the story on stage become vivid and make a strong impression on the audience.

Throughout his career, Ho Van Thanh has written music for hundreds of plays and films, leaving a mark in the hearts of art lovers. His outstanding songs in plays include "Mother Love" in the play of the same name by Sai Gon Drama, "The Story of You and Me" in the play by Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater, or "The Little Devil" in Tuoi Ngoc Theater. These songs all have one thing in common: they are easy to learn, easy to remember, and especially have a long-lasting vitality. Even though they are songs for drama, they can be easily loved and listened to again by the public.

In addition, in the field of cinema, Ho Van Thanh also left behind immortal songs such as "Friendship" in the movie "The mute", "White shirt" (also in "The mute"), "The river around life" in "Where the river stops", or "Illusion sail" in the movie of the same name. These songs are not only the music of the movie but also become independent pieces of music, loved by many generations of audiences.

In 2021, musician Ho Van Thanh won the Best Musician award at the National Drama Festival for his compositions for the play "City of Love". This is a well-deserved recognition for his contributions to the fields of stage music and cinema. This title is not only a source of pride for musician Ho Van Thanh personally but also a recognition by experts for his contributions to the development of Vietnamese performing arts.

Despite his many successes and great titles, musician Ho Van Thanh has always maintained a quiet working style. He rarely appears in public and mainly focuses on composing and dedicating himself to art. This further highlights his humility and sincere love for music. Ho Van Thanh's silence is his unceasing dedication to making Vietnamese theater and cinema increasingly rich and profound.

Musician - People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc commented on Ho Van Thanh: "I highly appreciate the compositions and dedication of musician - Meritorious Artist Ho Van Thanh. He is a model of dedicated, creative musicians who use music to create a mark for the fields of drama and film, adding sparkling colors to the Vietnamese entertainment industry". These compliments are not only a recognition of talent but also respect for a musician who has devoted his whole life to art, with melodies and lyrics filled with feelings and emotions.

Musician Ho Van Thanh is not only an outstanding musician but also one of the silent artists who has contributed to enriching Vietnamese music, especially in the fields of drama and film. His compositions have lived on forever in the hearts of the public, with melodies that are easy to learn, easy to remember and have emotional depth. Musician Ho Van Thanh deserves to be one of the musical icons of Vietnamese theater and cinema.

The "Four Quarters" reached 300 billion: Tran Thanh "won big" thanks to changing his attitude? Đông Nguyễn16:07:41 12/02/2025Tran Thanh's The Four Panthers has officially reached the revenue milestone of 300 billion VND after 12 days of release, although the growth rate is slower than previous works. Tran Thanh changed his attitude, from reacting harshly to a softer, more tactful approach.