Young Vietnamese conductor brings folk music to global audiences through passion

THE HANOI TIMES — A TikTok video captured an American choir at Wichita State University in the United States performing the Vietnamese folk song “Trong Com” (Rice Drum) under the direction of Duong Nhat Truong.

The video has attracted hundreds of thousands of views and shares. Duong Nhat Truong, born in 2002 and raised in Hanoi, has brought Vietnamese traditional music to international audiences, sharing the beauty of Vietnamese culture through simple and sincere melodies.

He recently spoke with The Hanoi Times about his journey to bring Vietnamese music to the world.

When you chose “Trong Com” to perform with an international choir, what did you hope to convey through this folk tune? In your opinion, what allows such a simple Vietnamese song to cross language barriers and touch hearts around the world?

What I wanted most when teaching “Trong Com” was to help my friends understand Vietnamese culture, folk music and our history. Beyond singing in tune or pronouncing words correctly, I cared about helping them understand what they were singing and what the song means to Vietnamese people.

Many assume “Trong Com” is a simple folk tune, but it is more intricate than it seems. It may sound light to Vietnamese listeners because we grew up with it, but when I taught it line by line to foreign students, I realized how subtle and sophisticated Vietnamese folk music is.

In the line “Mot bay tang tinh con xit. O may loi song” (A band of little kids. Oh oh swim swim in the river), the main lyrics tell a story, while sounds like “o may” or “tang tinh” add musical beauty that is hard to translate.

Although these syllables carry no specific meaning, they make the melody smoother and more resonant. This is a distinctive quality of Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs.

It is difficult to explain why these filler sounds exist because they represent the soul of Vietnamese folk music. In those syllables, Vietnamese people express emotion, affection and charm through each melody.

In your journey of introducing Vietnamese folk music to the world, especially when teaching “Trong Com” to an international choir, what was your biggest challenge? How did you balance tradition with accessibility?

The biggest challenge was not pronunciation. It was conveying the spirit of Quan ho Bac Ninh so my students could feel its essence. I had to help them understand that “Trong Com” is a cultural story tied to daily life and emotions in Vietnam.

To do that, I studied the history and geography of the Red River Delta, learned about the musical features of Quan ho and researched the ancient poem about the rice drum.

There were nights I stayed up until two or three in the morning looking for the best ways to make the story and culture clear while keeping their depth.

My hope was that when they sang, they would sing with technique, emotion and respect for the culture they embraced.

While teaching the American choir to sing “Trong Com”, what impressed you most about Vietnamese music and language?

I feel proud of our language. Vietnamese is melodic and rich in tones, something most Western languages lack.

When composing or singing, pitch aligns naturally with the tonal accents of the lyrics. Speaking Vietnamese is like singing a melody with its own rhythm.

While teaching “Trong Com”, I never worried that students would sing the wrong tones because the melody reflects them. The tune grows from the tones of Vietnamese and that harmony is what I appreciate most.

The more I taught, the more I admired the way Vietnamese language and music blend perfectly.

When the choir successfully performed “Trong Com”, how did they feel about the experience?

I am deeply grateful to the Concert Chorale. The viral video was recorded during our fourth rehearsal, yet they were already pronouncing words clearly and singing naturally. Their focus and respect moved me.

After the performance, many members thanked me for letting them experience Vietnamese culture. Some felt my passion in teaching; others said the song brought a sense of peace even though they did not understand every word.

For me, that moment showed how music can connect hearts and cultures across borders.

How do you view the role of young people in preserving and promoting Vietnamese culture globally? What can the youth do to keep traditional music vibrant in the digital age?

Every generation helps preserve and share culture, but young people carry a special responsibility because we have technology and language skills to communicate with the world. Today, even a short video can reach millions.

I admire artists like Hoang Thuy Linh, Phuong My Chi and the cast of “Sisters Who Make Waves” Vietnam. They blend tradition with modern style in a way that reaches young audiences while staying true to Vietnamese roots.

I hope my generation continues that spirit. I want to tell Vietnamese stories in the language of our time so every young person can feel proud of our traditional music.

The video of Duong Nhat Truong teaching an American choir at Wichita State University in the US has gone viral on TikTok.

After your “Trong Com” video went viral, do you have plans to continue promoting Vietnamese music internationally? Would you like to bring these projects back to Hanoi?

I graduated this May with a degree in Choral Conducting and Classical Piano and I am now pursuing a master’s degree in Educational Psychology.

I do not have specific plans yet, but if I have the opportunity, I want to bring my knowledge and experience back to Vietnam to inspire the younger generation.

Music is not just a passion for me. It is a tool for education that helps people understand and connect with each other. If I could perform on my home stage in Hanoi, it would be the greatest happiness.

Thank you for your time!

Foreign students on Duong Nhat Truong and Vietnamese folk songs Laney Beran, from Wichita (Kansas), majoring in Opera When I first heard we were learning a Vietnamese piece with Truong, I was extremely excited because I had never sung in Vietnamese before. However, I was equally nervous because I knew Vietnamese was a very different language than English, with very different sets of rules and tonal inflection. Truong made the learning experience so fun and memorable, he had such a positive and charming personality that naturally draws your attention and makes you want to learn from him. He was always so encouraging to us, and never afraid to praise us when we achieved any kind of progress, even the smallest one. I am truly thankful for the experience that Truong so generously brought to Concert Chorale, and Trong Com will forever be the favorite piece that I sung that year!  Jack Wilson, from Olathe (Kansas), majoring in Musical Theater Learning Trong Com with Truong was such a special experience that I will hold dear to my heart. I was in the same bass section with Truong so I knew he was a good singer, but I never knew how fantastic of a teacher and conductor he is until he started teaching us the song Trong Com for our concert. Every lesson we had with him went far beyond just music, because he incorporated lessons about history and culture within each rehearsal to help us understand the cultural significance of the piece. I am very thankful to be able to learn from Truong last year, not only Vietnamese music, Vietnamese pronunciation, but also Vietnamese history and culture.