Phong Nguyen

Phong Nguyen is a highly respected traditional Vietnamese musician and ethnomusicologist, known for his deep expertise in Vietnamese classical and folk music. Born in 1946 in a village in the Mekong Delta region of southern Vietnam, he began his musical training at a very young age, studying with a village master from the age of five and mastering both string and percussion instruments by the time he was 10. He has specialized in instruments like the dan tranh (17-string zither) and dan nguyet (two-string lute) and is recognized as one of the foremost exponents of Vietnamese music in the West.

Phong Nguyen's career has spanned continents and roles—from performer to scholar and educator. After leaving Vietnam in 1974, he earned a doctorate in ethnomusicology from the Sorbonne in Paris and later settled in the United States, where he has taught at prominent universities like UCLA, Kent State, and the University of Washington. His work includes numerous recordings, performances worldwide, and significant contributions to academic publications on Vietnamese music. He received the National Heritage Fellowship in 1997, the U.S. government's highest honor in traditional arts, highlighting his contributions to preserving and promoting Vietnamese musical heritage.