On Saturday 15/3/2003, at 8.00PM, the Vietnamese community of Toronto and its suburbs enjoyed a delightful cultural and artistic activity, which is classified as a rare phenomena. That was a guitar solo performance of the famous guitarist The An Nguyen held at Royal Bank Theatre, located in Living Art Centre, Mississauga, Ontario, organized the ex- students of Trung Vuong - Chu Van An Schools. The introduction of the player and musical pieces performed by him was held by the announcer of Viet Tien TV: MC Hoang Lan, in Vietnamese, and MC Hai Duong, in English. As an audience, I would like to express some impressions and feelings about that guitar show.

In 1991, The An Nguyen settled in Toronto. He graduated with the qualification outstanding in the Composing and Performing course of the Western of Ontario University. The Professor Alan Torok, the great International guitarist, made some comments about him as follow.

During my teaching career of 20 years, I still have not seen such highly qualified student like that. I am very proud of him:

Afterwards, The An got an advance training of 2 years with the great International guitarist Stephan Rack. In recent years, he participated in guitar solo performances in many cities in the North of America. He was cheered up everywhere, especially in the evening show at Toronto on 28/12/2001. The Canadian Embassy had also sponsored 3 guitar solo shows, performed by him in Ha Noi and SaiGon.

The program presenting 8 music pieces played by him in the evening 15/3/2003, was well selected. In that show, only Prelude #1 asked the high music knowledge of the classic guitar from the audience, the other 7 consisted of 3 music pieces: Romance, Autumn Leaves and Black Orpheus are already well known, so they are familiar with the music lovers; and the remaining 4: Thanh Giong Story (composed by himself during his study in Tchekoslovakia), Ngau hung Tay Nguyen (Western Highlands Impromptu), and Beo giat May troi (Scattered pond lilies, wandering Clouds), (transformed from folk songs), and Giang Ngoc was Ngo Thuy Mien's work. So the whole program brought up warm and familiar atmosphere to the audience. All presented music pieces were arranged by The An himself.

Right from the first music piece: Romance, which is also called Spanish Romance, was very familiar to the classic guitar lovers. The An Nguyen has totally convinced the audience hearts. Besides the 2 common arrangements, which is played in separate sound, mainly played with high sound strings with the accompaniment of the bass strings. The An Nguyen has made unique arrangement, new performance way, bringing the special trait to that immortal piece of music. That is the arrangement of high sound strings using, and the melody is played with bass strings. That way of guitar playing demands a very high technique, using a very difficult accord using twisted finger play.

The audience also loved to listen to the 2 famous Western music pieces (Autumn Leaves and Black Orpheus). Especially, the Black Orpheus was arranged with 4 parts, including the beat timing with fingers on to the guitar body to create harmonious rhythm. Especially the Love duets Beo giat May troâi (Scattered pond lilies, wandering Clouds) had passionated the audience, leading them to think of the old classic music pieces of Luu Thuy and Hanh Van.

The music piece Ngau hung Tay Nguyen (Western Highlands Impromptu), composed and arranged by The An Nguyen was so unique with the sound of Trung guitar, the beat of the drum, the sound of the gong, all bearing the soul of the Western Highlands in festivity. Listening to his way of guitar playing, we had the impression of listening to 3-4 guitars playing at the same time.

With Thanh Giong Story, The An Nguyen led us to hear the lullaby melody of Thanh Giong's mother when he was still a baby, to the moment that Thanh Giong rised up to become Phu Dong Thien Vuong (Phu Dong Heavenly King), picking the bamboo roots to fight against the An warriors. The Ras tremolo technique was so repeatedly, so exiting to describe the battlefield full of metallic knocking sound, to terminate with the soaring sound when Thanh Giong returns to the Heaven.

The melody of Giang Ngoc, from the composer Ngo Thuy Mien, under the finger play of The An Nguyen has also attracted the audience by its sad and solemn sound. The player has well combined the classic guitar technique with the theory of the Western music in his presentation of the Vietnamese classic folk song and the modern one.

Technically speaking, The An Nguyen's talent is in International level. We may compare him with Liona Boyd, 'the Queen of guitar' of Canada. She wasthe one who had made tours in different countries, with the heads of State audience. She got many famous CD of guitar solo, and she always kept busy with 6 hours of practice daily, as she told us in an interview made by City TV, Toronto. We may make comparison between those two talents. To play the immortal Romanza, beside the new and unique dubbed sound techniques, the Tremolo technique of The An Nguyen is better than the one of Boyd (CD The Best of Liona Boyd). We may say that the Tremolo technique is the most difficult one in playing guitar. So many peoples had failed after years of hard training. If we listen carefully to the Tremolo playing of Mrs Boyd, we could see that her techniques was not consistent, not uniform; while The An Nguyen got an uniformed Tremolo one, both in volume and in rhythm. So we could say the Classic guitar playing really need the right hand.

But in music and in art, technique is not enough. There were so many well known guitarists who had top level in technique but they could not completely show the music soul. music soul. The International masters of guitar Alan Torok of canada, and Stephan Tak of Tchekoslovakia had given the guitar techniques and music knowledge s to The An Nguyen , but they could not give the music soul to him, because that soul could not be learned. The meaning of Art is 'Art = Technique + Soul'. The An Nguyen's guitar sound is full of art, just he got bot high technique level and soul. By just listening to The An Nguyen's guitar sound, we may feel that musician had consigned all of his soul in the strings, in the tone. The auditors would feel that their soul were also got the same feeling with the musician's one. As The An Nguyen got a strong Vietnamese feeling, so he did not put great concern in the classical songs playing, instead he preferred to play the pop ones, the ones composed by him , in the aim to present the Vietnamese music soul to the world guitar lovers.

As a conclusion, I emphasize some success of The An Nguyen guitar solo.

The first success was the auditors' manner. I estimated that there were about 300 spectators of all ages in that recital. But all of them kept quiet just to listen to all sounds and breaths of music. All auditors were very serious, thus creating an ideal atmosphere for music enjoyment.

At the end of each song, there were great applause, and at the end of the performance the applause became endless, so the performer must make many salutations. In order to respond to the spectators' enthusiastic, he continued to play Hora, composed by Stephan Rak, 1/3 of the song needs to be played with only the left hand (holding and striking at the same time), creating repeated rythms.

The second success was in the skillful organization, with clear explain and comment of MC Hoang Lan and Hai Duong.

The last success was the income from ticket selling will be brought by The An Nguyen himself to the blinds of his native land, in June 2003. And he was invited to play with the Orchestra of Saigon .

Thanks to the organizers. Thanks to The An Nguyen. He is a real precious stone, a real proud of the oversea Vietnameses.

After listening to the performance, with “dizzily fast performnace” pace, the way to use all of ten fingers or “scratch on the body of musical instrument” or scratch noisily on the all of six strings which creates “ brassy, insolent” sound, “hearing very uncomfortably” … Different from very serious, very religious, familiar guitar performance styles` … many persons have called The An Nguyen “heretic” in music.

I was lucky to attend a guitar recital of The An Nguyen in March, 1999 at Von Kuster auditorium, Western Ontario University Institute. The performance was opened with a classic guitar concert of The An Nguyen along with the Western Chamber Orchestra with Concerto (in Re) op.99 of Mario Castelnouvo-Tedesco under the the control of J. Summer banmaster. Next, The An Nguyen peformed famopus work of Isaac Alberniz and a number of modern works of Alan Herad. The song of Asturias was performed with pretty fast pace, creating an unusual style as compared with many artists who performed it.

Specially, The An Nguyen provided audience with Remembering Prague, a famous modern work of greatly famous musician, Stepan Rak – a big face in today’s world for classical guitar solo. Stepan Rak musician, has been known by greatly creative solo performance of his – who has been called the greatest genius of guitar after Andre Segovia as from the period of F. Sor, F. Tarrega. until now. S. Rak opened the school of original modern guitar of his own. Graham Wade musician highly praised and considered him “One who changed our realization on wonderful ability of guitar, one who further opened the horizon of this musical instrument” (Graham Wade 1989)> Through the work of Remembering Prague, its content is to describe Rak’s recall of ancient Prague city, The An Nguyen displayed his profoundly expresive ability.

At the end of the program, The An Nguyen brought about audience an unexpected thing with other work of Rak: Hora. For this very song. The An Nguyen affirmed His ability to perform masterly works. The song only has the length of no more than two minutes but contains the most difficult and new solo performance techniques which not any classic guitar solo performance artist in the world can perform; including performance by left hand and followed by the performance with specific five finger rasqeado technique of S. Rak (called Orchestra Style – solo performance technique as a large orchestra), and performance pace come up to 18 notes/ sec on occasion in a number of segments.

In another recital, (24/9/99) also at a Von Kuster Music auditorium) The An Nguyen, took audience into another fascinating itinerary of solo guitar art, through immortal, familiar works of Morzart (Theme & Variations), J. S. Bach (Chacone) and the sound of modern solo performance guitar through new works of Alan Torok (Summer Sonata) and N. Koskin (The Fall of Birds). In case of the above mentioned March recital, The An Nguyen combined his solo guitar sound with the superb sound of Western Chamber Orchestra stately and skilfully, in recent recital on September, 24 at night, everyone had an opportunity to hear An’s guitar sound in poetic romantic harmony along with the sound of the flute of Barbara Ackernam in the song of Summer Sonata Op.45, including 4 segments: first part Moderato, Allegro part (the tile of Idle Game, Chidist Sorrow), Improvizando part in C major (Summer Breeze) and ended with Allegro part (Idyll’sEnd) of musician Alan Torok.

At the beginning of 2000, The An Nguyen formally presented himself before audience in Toronto in a greatly successful concert at Glendale Church auditorium, Toronto. More than 3000 audience, both Western and Vietnamese enjoyed the program including solo songs or compsed forThe An‘s guitar. That night, after sincere introduction of Alan Torok musician, The An Nguyen performed a very highly enthusiatic program left in audience an unexpected thing and deep admiration.

The An Nguyen is the first Vietnamese student learnt professional guitar performance and graduated with the highest grade in all disciplines at UWO school. A passion for music plus special natural endowments and tireless practice brought An worthy results in his study. Famous musician Alan Torok, the head of guitar discipline at UWO school gave The An praise which he has never bestowed on any student throughout more than 20 years of his music teaching across the professional music schools in Northern America.

Different from piano which is often regarded as the noble musical instrument in Viet Nam, because only richers can purchase it and let their children study this kind of musical instrument; guitar is a kind of the most popular musical instrument. In all ways of performing guitar, classic guitar is the thorniest and the highest class genre.

Encouraged by his father, The An Nguyen came to music very early. An began to study guitar with musician Trong Lung in Hai Phong since five years of age. Then, The An studied guitar with famous musician Ta Tan and Nguyen Nhu Dung and a guitar learner at Ha Noi music college.The An demonstrated many times his musical natural endowments through performances on VietNam broadcast throughout 1979-1989. Wish to learn in order to be able to fly higher in art sky pushed The an to leave Viet nam. Among those who left their native land to seek a new refuge perhaps The An Nguyen was a pretty original boat man. The original point is An who boarded to depart with his only luggage, a guitar.

In two years living in Shatin camp, Hong Kong, The An both taught music to other boat people and practised guitar himself and came to church for piano practice. At the end of 1991 The An was settled in Canada. Just finished his secondary education in Toronto, An immediately enrolled in classic guitar performance career for four years at UWO (University of Westrern Ontario) London since 1996 and graduated with excellent results at the end of 1999.

To look back on a long road from learning guitar in Hai Phong until now in Canada, The An Nguyen sincerely remarked that the years of studying at UWO really winged his natural endowments. Because this is very place where The An Nguyen had opportunities to study, contact the masters of the world music. Those are conditions which, in An’s opinion, cannot be acquired in his country. Because music as well as technical science at the end of this century 20 have had long steps in technique as well as creative methods.

When questioned about his future intentions and specially his impression and feelings about Vietnamese music, The An answered immediately as if the answer had been in his thinking: “Vietnamese music is very good, An always wishes to produce my talent to make contribution to Vietnamese music to lead Vietnamses music to listeners in the world. Vietnamese is highly artistic, Vietnamese language is full of melody. However, it is necessary to polish by recorded music tecniques and new musical structure. An wishes to pursue guitar learning to the last, wishes to be exchanged, learned new techniques with his friends, internationally famous guitar players, then when really mature in learning, An’ll turn back to Vietnamese music, make up Vietnamese music with new beauty of modern musical art. In An’s opinion, in that way, Vietnamese music wings to fly higher, farther in internationally musical art sky.

Indeed, An wishes to pursue guitar learning to the last, after leaving UWO school, in two years, 2000-2001 The An Nguyen came to Prague to study directly with famous musician Stepan Rak. After introduced by professor Alan Torok and heard An directly perform his works, Stepan Rak did not hesitate to recognize An as a follower to pesonally write to Ontario Art Council to request An to come to Prague to receive instruction from him. Though he did not receive sponsor expenses from Canada government, The An still decided to come to Prague to study by his modest financial ability. Admiring a talent, Rak personally arranged accommodation for The An and taught The An free of charge.

Famous musician Stepan Rak left a bold mark in guitar sound of The An Nguyen, both performance techniques and recorded music techniques, specially accord developing technique. Traditional solo performance technique, specially emphasizing thumbs, forefingers, middle fingers and ring fingers of the right hand without exploiting little fingers. Therefore, in Rak’s opinion, as compared with solo performance artist of piano, harp. Solo performance artist of guitar did not make the best of performance capacity of two hands. Believing that overcoming these weaknesses would lead guitar solo preformance technique to higher performance capacity. Rak boldly developed new techniques including the development of little finger, set principles developing muscles on the right hand to create a balance force when down stroke or up stroke by which an artist can tremelo by all of five fingers and stroke arpegios by even little finger. He succeeded, built guitar school of his own. He wrote books, went on tour, taught all over the world and received a great many of followers including The An Nguyen.

An interesting, noteworthy thing about The An is by watching, hearing, and self-studying, The An Nguyen himself developed Rak’s techniques and performed successfully Rak’s work before becoming a formal learner of his. This was very thing that surprised and interested Rak when he met The An in Toronto.

The An’s performance techniques are expressed highly creatively, flexibly on both of his hands at the same time he makes the best of different parts of body, box, rod of guitar to create rich sound.

However, Rak’s way to perform guitar along with harmony methods, manipulating new, strange finger techniques of his met with unsympathetic reactions from professional guitar artists and audience who are familiar with conditioning, method of traditional classic music, The An Nguyen cannot be avoid these reactions. Even in the first appearances, The An Nguyen encountered criticisms. It is criticized that The An Nguyen’s musical technique is too high to hear or play toward amateurs. People even suspect the learning, training process of The An Nguyen.

Also in the years of 2001-2002, The An Nguyen performed many places in Ha Noi, Saigon, his name was mentioned in large newspapers of Viet Nam. Specially June, 2002 The An Nguyen had the honour of an examiner in the first Nationwide Guitar Contest in Viet nam.

Addition to songs composed for guitar, The An Nguyen formed a number of special works. The most remarkable is two songs composed for solo guitar bearing the names: Giong Saint and Western Highland Impromptu.

The song of Giong Saint admires Phu Dong Thien Vuong, a child suddenly changed into a youth to expel An invaders in ancient history of Viet Nam. The song lasts 18 minutes, including 5 chapters.

For other people, The An Nguyen is not a “heretic”. An not only plays guitar but lives with his guitar, wanders with his guitar. He dares give up familiar principles, traditional plain techniques to bring newer and stranger demonstrations. Many silent nights, An does nothing, he only pats and beats strongly and lightly across the body of the guitar to hear how the sound will resound differently. An thinks that life is a rich musical source. Music includes not only 7 musical notes but also innumberable different noises. What does not An like? Discipline. Along with his guitar, The An Nguyen wishes to come to twists and turns of life.

Vietnamese youth is present in almost intellectual fields in the globe. Vietnamese names with excellent achievements in learning, scientific research in temporary countries are increasing Vietnamese pride. In multicolour and multiform flower garden of Vietnamese youth, The An Nguyen is a flower worthy of respect and encouragement. Send The An Nguyen the best wishes. Wish The An Nguyen soon coming to the peak of modern musical art, soon collecting quintessence of the world’s musical art to beautify Vietnamese music like the aspiration of The An Nguyen, and of course, many Vietnamese people at home and abroad.

The first guitar solo festival got the participation of a young musician coming from abroad as a special guest. He brought up with him: Thanh Giong Story and Ngau hung Tay Nguyen (Western Highlands Impromptu), the song referring to his homeland, composed in oversea. He returned here to realize his long lasting dream - 'Playing guitar for my fellow-countrymen'. That musician is The An Nguyen

1. With a long hair-style, tied at the back, and a strong hand shaking with friends, The An Nguyen did not look like stranger as some other well known men. When talking to his works: 'When the words could not fully express our feelings, then the music will help to do that. Music sound is the most effective instrument in the feeling expression. So when I play guitar, I could express my feeling in the clearest way'. Although that he had follow the Western classic music, but he got his inspiration from the folk song of the Northern pop song. One book written about the music of the gong regions, given to him by a friend; One sad song sang by his mother in the long past, were all precious to him. When listening to the music he played, although that it was a concerto or a Vietnamese pop song, we would feel the sadness, the joy of the youth, nothing was complicated, nothing special, but it was a perfect combination of sound and soul. An did not put attention the noisy life outside. He was just quietly and thoughtfully in his work. He had chosen the musical career, so he would seriously take care of it with all of his love

2. Since young, The An Nguyen used to be a child and good kid, he did not show up any thing special ....excepting his love reserved to the guitar sound. All day long, he held the guitar in his hands, examining it with admiration, striking some strings. The special love to the guitar of the kid withdrew the attention of his father, so at the age of 5, his dad took him to the a guitar playing course. That was the reason that The An knew guitar playing , and the music notes reading before he knew reading and writing words

At the age of 11, he passed the entry examination of the Musical Institute of Ha Noi. So he moved to Ha Noi. He got a chance to learn music under the instruction of 2 professors Ta Tan and Nguyen Nhu Dung. During his 8 years of learning, from 1981 to 1989, he always was the top of the class. All of his classmate respected his talent. But that was not enough for him. He still got the passion in learning and understanding more in music

In 1989, at the age of 19, he left his beloved family and friends to come to Canada to continue learning. Right after his arrival to Toronto, he relearned the secondary program to get the basic education. To satisfy his guitar playing love, he joint the orchestra of the school and made many tours performance. He became an enthusiastic young man, having new good life and friends... But deep in his soul, he still felt the home missing sentiment

Right after the graduation from the secondary school, he subscribed his name in the University, guitar playing branch. He got the luck to be the student of Professor Alan Torok- the top guitarist at Canada. He was the first one who got mark 96% for his performance. That was a record of that university, since its opening date. But his musical career really made a change when he got a chance to learn with the world leading guitarist Stephan Rack (Tcheques Republic). That Professor taught him the new guitar playing techniques, called the orchestra style, in which only one guitar could express different sounds of many instruments at the same time, just like the orchestra.

3. One afternoon, at Lieu Giai cafe, The An told the story of his mother to me. She was the one who expected the most the day of his return, the story of his sister. She was the one who must sacrifice her University study, entering into the life to make money in the aim of helping him in his oversea study, the story of those who had share the life with him. He appreciated all those sacrifices and help. All those feelings had tightened him more and more to his beloved homeland, and became the source of his creation. Still keeping the Vietnamese soul, The An expected to be able to return to his native land to live and to work beside his beloved persons, and to do something to them

He got a dream to afford a little house in a peaceful region, to have a little garden, to have simple bamboo furniture in his home, to share the joy of tea drinking with family members or with friends. He is expecting that his dream would come true one day

After successful musical performances in both Ha Noi and HoChiMinh cities, The An left VietNam, having in mind the invitation for cooperation with the Orchestra of HoChiMinh city in the year to come.

Originated from Hai Phong, the guitarist The An Nguyen started to learn guitar from the age of 5, at Music Institute of Hanoi during the period of 1981 to 1989, under the instruction of the senior artists Ta Tan and Nguyen Nhu Dung. His talent was well known during the domestic musical performance during the period of 1979 to 1989.

After 10 years of musical study at Ha Noi, he came to Hong Kong, then settled in Canada in 1991, where he actively continued his professional guitar playing career. He became one of the most outstanding student of the professor Alan Torok, the guitarist of American-Canadian nationality. In 1999, after accomplishing 4 years of learning in Western Ontario University, he came to Tchekoslovakia to pursuit his study with the famous guitarist Stephan Rak. During that period he learned a new technique of guitar playing, called 'Orchestra style'. With that technique, his guitar solo sounds like the symphony of many musical instruments .

The way of guitar playing of The An is very pure and strong, with the deep feeling of his skill. His talent in the artistic creation is at the highest difficult level. It is a combination of the Orchestra playing of Rack, emphasizing on the master tone. The An Nguyen already had 3 successful guitar shows in VietNam: one with Ha Noi classical guitar club, in July, 2001; and two other in both Hanoi and HoChiMinh city, under the sponsor of the General Consulate of Canada in VietNam, in September of 2001. Afterwards, he participated in the Gold Globe Award given to 10 Top Enterprises in VietNam, in 2001. This time The An comes to the National Guitar show of 2002 as honorable guest. We are expecting to enjoy his skilled guitar playing technique in the Love of Guitar show (27/5) in a warm and joyful atmosphere .

HA NOI — The deep and absorbing sound of classical guitar will descend upon Ha Noi next week, as Vietnamese Canadian The An Nguyen returns for an encore performance.

The An is expected to thrill the audience with some personal compositions, mixed with favourite classics. The playlist includes classic Western tunes like Romaza, Chacone, Black Orpheus, Autumn Leaves and Vietnamese folklore tunes such as Nguoi oi Nguoi o Dung Ve (Honey, Please Stay!) and Beo Dat May Troi (Drifting water Hyacinth, Floating Cloud).

The concerts will provide The An with an opportunity to showcase his special technique known as orchestra-style, allowing the guitar to sound like many different instruments playing at once. He is a one man symphony.

The classical guitar remains an important childhood companion for The An, as he took his first lesson at the age of five. He honed his skill at the Ha Noi Conservatory from 1981 to 1989 with professors Ta Tan and Nguyen Nhu Dung.

In 1991, he moved to Canada, and in 1999 graduated from the University of Western Ontario with honours in music. The following year, The An’s winding musical career took him to the Czech Republic, where he studied under renowned guitarist Stepan Rak. It was under Rak’s guidance that The An mastered the orchestra-style technique.

This is The An’s second performance in Ha Noi which is organised by the Canadian Embassy. His first performance here was last June, part of the Canada Day celebration. The concert guitarist now calls Canada his home. This year, he was invited back as a special guest for the Guitar Festival, between May 22 and 27.

The 31 year-old musician will hold his first concert in Ha Noi on Friday, May 31 at the Horison Hotel, before moving to HCM City for a three-night engagement at the Diva Fashion Cafe, June 5 to 7.

Free tickets are available at the Canadian Embassy in Ha Noi, 31 Hung Vuong Street before Wednesday, May 29 or call 823-5500 for reservations.