The “Learning Dan Bau” project was founded and is led by the composer Tam Thi Pham. It started in 2019, is still ongoing and has garnered attention of music lovers not only here in Germany, but also in Vietnam and in the US.  Dan Bau is a traditional Vietnamese instrument and is considered one of the most unique instruments in the world because of its simple structure, special performing style and sound production method. The sound of the Dan Bau comes from the harmonics of its single string, combined with the use of the rod to tense or loosen it and to create different pitches with attractive and unique timbre, so close to the tone of Vietnamese language. The project is aimed at anyone who loves this instrument and wishes to learn to play Dan Bau by themselves.

In the first part of the event, the Dan Bau artists Ngo Tra My and Tam Thi Pham will give a summary of the project, from basic techniques, though folk and traditional music, to new compositions. The artists will also touch on a couple of important music styles, characteristic for different regions of Vietnam.

The second part of the event will be an improvisation section of the guest artist Jan Wegmann, a clarinetist, synthesizer player, and composer, together with two đàn bầu players Tam Thi Pham and Ngo Tra My.

NOTE: this event will be recorded (audio and video) and the edited materials will be later published online under a CC BY SA license. By attending you agree to these terms.

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Organised by Tam Thi Pham

Supported by HOOU@HfMT

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Artists’ bios

NGÔ TRÀ MY – Đàn Bầu player, voice

Ngô Trà My is a distinguished Đàn Bầu instructor at the Viet Nam National Academy of Music and is recognized as one of Viet Nam’s leading Đàn Bầu soloists. She received a Certificate of Merit as a Đàn Bầu soloist at the National Traditional Professional Music Festival in 1992, earned a Diploma in Đàn Bầu performance in 1994, and obtained a Master’s degree in Music Pedagogy from the Viet Nam National Academy of Music in 2007.

In 2024, she was honored with the national title of Meritorious Artist. Ngô Trà My’s professional endeavors encompass teaching, performing, and researching traditional, experimental, and contemporary music. She is an active member of several prestigious ensembles, including the Viet Nam Traditional Music Orchestra, One Asia Joint Concert, Asia Traditional Orchestra, the international experimental music group The Six Tones, the Viet Nam Contemporary Music Group MMTM, and the Viet Nam Traditional Music Group Thăng Long.

Additionally, she serves as a Music Committee Member for the Asia Traditional Orchestra

project and as a Music Advisor for the C-ASEAN Consonant project. Throughout her career, Ngô Trà My has performed in over 40 countries, participating in numerous significant cultural events such as the International Music Festivals, Viet Nam Culture Days, and the International New Music Festivals. Through these international engagements, she has played a pivotal role in showcasing the unique sounds of the Đàn Bầu and promoting the richness of Vietnamese traditional music on the global stage.

Tam Thi Pham

Tam Thi Pham (b. 1990) is a Vietnamese multimedia composer, improviser, and performer based in Hamburg, Germany. By merging technology and tradition, poetics and politics, and the sonic and visual realms, Pham creates an integrated mode of expression where music and performance are indivisible parts.

Her work as a composer is all about pushing the boundaries—she loves discovering new sounds, experimenting with different forms of expression, and delving into the performative aspects of music. Central to her work are discovering the unique sounds and extended techniques of the dan bau, a traditional Vietnamese instrument incorporated into her compositions and improvisations.

Her works have been featured at festivals in Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Hungary, Germany, France, and Serbia, demonstrating the wide-reaching appeal of her innovative compositions.

https://tamthipham.com/