Dan Bau artist Pham Duc Thanh passed away at the age of 69

Nghệ sĩ đàn bầu Phạm Đức Thành qua đời, thọ 69 tuổi- Ảnh 1. — Dan Bau artist Pham Duc Thanh

Dan tranh artist Thanh Le - younger brother of dan bau artist Pham Duc Thanh - told Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reporters that just a few days ago, he was discharged from the hospital and returned home, and even called Duc last night to talk to his sister.

"But this morning, my brother passed away at 5:41 a.m. on August 22, 2025. He has gone forever, leaving a choking silence in my heart and that of my family. My brother had many underlying diseases, had to go to the hospital for dialysis 3 times a week, and recently had heart disease, but I didn't expect him to pass away so suddenly" - artist Thanh Le cried.

His family is preparing for his funeral. After cremation, the artist's ashes will be brought back to Hanoi according to his wishes. Artist Thanh Le will return from Germany to join his family in organizing his brother's funeral.

In her emotion, she choked up and shared: "Thanh spent his whole life preserving the sound of the monochord - a sound that touches the souls of Vietnamese people everywhere. Now he rests in peace, but I believe that his music and the public's love for him will resonate forever."

Nghệ sĩ đàn bầu Phạm Đức Thành qua đời, thọ 69 tuổi- Ảnh 2. — Artist Pham Duc Thanh

Born on February 8, 1956 in Gia Vien, Ninh Binh , Pham Duc Thanh grew up in an atmosphere filled with traditional Cheo, Chau Van, and Len Dong. Traditional music permeated him from the moment he was born. At the age of 4, he already knew how to beat the Cheo drum, at 5 he learned to play the mandolin, and at 6 he became familiar with the two-stringed fiddle and monochord.

Later, he chose the monochord to stick with for the rest of his life, as he confided when he was alive: "I grew up surrounded by cheo singing and country music. Folk music for me is not a choice, but an inseparable breath."

Musician Pham Duc Thanh's musical career soon marked success: from first prize in the national dan bau competition in 1985 to the title of valedictorian of the University of Traditional Music Research (1983). From Vietnam to Canada where he settled in 2006, he then returned home and worked in the country.

Dan Bau artist Pham Duc Thanh has never stopped bringing Vietnamese traditional music to friends around the world. ART Channel (Canada) once honored him as an artist with special contributions to promoting Vietnamese traditional music. Not only playing solo, he also combined Dan Bau with traditional musical instruments of other countries, performed with pipa artist Liu Fang (China), and accompanied the late Professor Tran Van Khe at many international music festivals.

The late Professor Tran Van Khe once commented: "Pham Duc Thanh not only plays the monochord, but has turned the one-stringed instrument into the voice of the Vietnamese soul."

Nghệ sĩ đàn bầu Phạm Đức Thành qua đời, thọ 69 tuổi- Ảnh 3. — Dan Bau artist Pham Duc Thanh

In the audience's memory, he is an artist with long hair, traditional Vietnamese dress and turban, sitting next to a one-stringed zither, vibrating his talented fingers to play melodies that are both soulful and elegant.

The monochord in his hands can cry, laugh, and hum like a human voice. The sound of the instrument touches deeply into folk memories and expands the range of modern integration, making many foreign audiences shocked when they hear it for the first time.

Now, that talented artist has passed away. But his monochord, a simple, soulful sound that carries the soul of the nation, will forever resonate, like his last words of gratitude to the world.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nghe-si-dan-bau-pham-duc-thanh-qua-doi-tho-69-tuoi-196250822114034853.htm