Nguyễn Vĩnh Bảo

Nguyễn Vĩnh Bảo was a Vietnamese musician and scholar renowned for his mastery of the đàn tranh, a traditional Vietnamese zither. Born in 1918 in southern Vietnam, he played a major role in preserving and promoting the traditional music of Vietnam, particularly the đờn ca tài tử genre—an important style of chamber music in southern Vietnamese culture. His deep knowledge of instruments, tuning systems, and music theory made him one of the most respected authorities on Vietnamese traditional music, not just in his home country, but internationally as well.

In addition to performing, Nguyễn Vĩnh Bảo was a dedicated teacher and researcher who collaborated with ethnomusicologists and musical institutions around the world to share Vietnam’s rich musical heritage. His work helped bridge traditional Vietnamese music and modern academic study, making it accessible to new generations of musicians and scholars. Remarkably, he remained active in music well past his 90s, embodying a lifelong dedication to the art form.

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