MEET ARTISTS

Nguyen Phuc Hai, a brilliant pupil of Professors Nguyen Quy Lam and Hoang Cuong, began his music training at the age of six. Graduated with high honors from Saigon Conservatory, Mr. Nguyen has become an active and accomplished soloist as well as a high acclaimed chamber musician in numerous concerts and chamber recitals in Vietnam and the United States. He has also recorded most of the solo violin tracks for Thuy Nga Productions. Mr. Nguyen has resided in Seattle, Washington since 1993 and has joined many SCE concerts and Vietnamese American Philharmonic concerts.

VAN-ANH NGUYEN – CONCERT PIANIST | PRODUCER | COMPOSER

Born in Sydney, 1987 to Vietnamese refugee parents, Van-Anh started learning the piano at the tender and astounding age of 15 months with both of her parents. By the age of 4, she was accepted into the Young Artists Program for gifted & talented musicians at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. By the age of 9, she had obtained her Associate Diploma in Music (Australia), and at aged 12, received her Licentiate Diploma in Music (Australia), making history as one of the youngest in her generation. She has given numerous media performances including on Channel 9’s Kerry Anne Kennedy Show and Channel 7’s The Witness Program. She has won several awards and prizes during her piano studies across Australia, having taken out the Kawai Piano Award (Australia) and the Audience Prize in the 13th Sommerklavierfest, Bad-Bertrich (Germany). She has also performed overseas in Germany, Austria, USA and Taiwan.

Website – https://www.vananhofficial.com/

Teresa Mai born in California US is a trained opera singer, spiritual singer, and yoga teacher.  With her voice, her love for music, yoga classes and her daily life, she wishes to bring healing, light and love into the lives of others.Teresa studied opera at California State University of Long Beach Music School and also at The Boston Conservatory of Music. She has performed many different operatic roles throughout the US and Europe. After many years of training in music and living in Venice, Italy, she moved to New York where very soon after, she found her spiritual path in the study of Tibetan Buddhism, Yoga and Sacred Music. She released her first spiritual album called “Yoga Is Love” in 2012 and has been featured on 7 other spiritual albums. Teresa is very grateful and honored to be singing for The Vietnamese American Philharmonic

Website – https://sangeetakaurmusic.com/

Le Hong Quang – was born in Saigon. He graduated with honor from Saigon Music Conservatory in 1995. He lived with his family in the U.S and continued his education in vocal training. In June 2003, he graduated with honor in vocal performing art at California State University in Fullerton. He is a lead tenor of Ngan Khoi Choir. He had performed in China, Europe, and the U.S. Along with his performances in chamber music in Southern and Northern California, he makes regular appearances at Vietnamese American Philharmonic Orchestra concerts. Le Hong Quang has spent most of his time teaching. He had his own studio at the end of 2003. His class has attracted more and more students. Since September 2006, he has been a teacher for Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA) in charge of a vocal training for children as well as adults

Website – http://lehongquang.com/lehongquangvocalclass.html

Pham Ha was a member of the Costa Mesa Choir before becoming a soloist. After his debut as a soloist back in 1999, Pham Ha was invited to perform in many concerts in Orange County including those organized by the Vietnamese American Philharmonic (VAP), the Ngan Khoi Chorus, and the Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation. A self-taught vocalist, Pham Ha can sing in four different languages: Vietnamese, French, English and Spanish. Pham Ha is frequently requested by the audience to perform romantic French pop songs.

Trinh Hoang Hai is a self taught classical guitarist as well as a classically trained baritone. His unique musical interpretation has lend a rare blend of both guitar and voice in his performances. He believes that music is a tool to bridge and connect the souls of this universe bringing peace to the world. Hoang Hai has performed at numerous venues as a soloist and a choir member. He has recorded two albums Bien Hat and Bien Oi that were very well received.  Hoang Hai is a part of a musical group that not only consists of talented musicians but also successful business men who want to share their knowledge through music and give back to the world. They have successfully raised funds for many charity programs, providing support and upliftment to the souls of many talented students from various universities.

Ngoc Ha was born into a musical family in Ninh Binh, Vietnam.  Before 1975, she was active in her church as a member of the choir and has continued her passion for religious ensemble singing here in the United States. Her voice has a wide range and she is comfortable singing anything from Contralto to Lyric Soprano. She has enthusiastically taken years of voice lessons and continues to teach piano and perform with her beloved husband Le Van Khoa.

Mong Thuy grew up in a musical family. She had a great passion for music since she was a child. As an elmentary school girl, she was selected singing on Saigon Television, in school and church musical events. Settled down in the US in 1986, she studied piano and choir conducting at California State University, Fulleton. In 1994, she got her Master of Arts degree in piano teaching. She also studied vocal training with Dr. Elizabeth Makino. Mong Thuy appeared as a vocal soloist with Vietnamese American Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (VAP), Ngan Khoi Choir, and in musical events honoring two composers Pham Duy and Cung Tien. She was choir leader for Costa Mesa Choir for many years. She was also one of the founders and members of VAP Board of Directors. For the time being, Mong Thuy is the choir leader of Gloria Choir of Lady of Lavang Church as well as a piano teacher at Westminster Music School. She is a resident of Fountain Valley, California.

Nguyen Cao Nam Tran has appeared permanently on music scenes to support boat people, victims of natural disasters, charity and community events as well as to preserve Vietnamese culture abroad.  She has devoted herself to music and especially to her audience over 20 years. During the early years in the United States, she was one of Thai Thanh’s students and she also joined a comedy group called Club O’ Noodles.  She later relocated out of California, but still took vocal training courses to cultivate her vocalizing and performance.  It happened to be fortunate enough for Nam Tran to be back to Orange County.  She had a chance to fulfill her dream:  singing to her music lovers with a heart of joy and passion.

Bảo Châu, D.D.S.

Mezzo Soprano

Tim Nelson, Rose Center Theater Director

Baritone

Phuong Thao was born in Saigon post 1975 where the twin sisters studied guitar at the age of six and persued guitar performance at Saigon Conservatory when they were ten. Phuong Thao graduated with a bachelor degree of music in 2000 where she began teaching guitar at the Saigon Conservatory until 2014. Phuong Thao studied with professor Hoang Dam for three years starting in 2003 and graduated with a master degree of music theory and guitar performance. Phuong Thao and her sister organized “The Twin” program in July 2011, a well successful guitar performance at Phu Nhuan Cultural Music House, Saigon. Phuong Thao moves to America in 2014 where she continued teaching guitar at the Orange County music and her studio, perform in many concerts throughout Orange County. Phuong Thao organized another program in 2016 and 2018 “Phuong Thao and Friends”, with a great success and warmth welcome from her fans who loved classical guitar performance. Tickets were sold out weeks in advance in all the programs.