Proposal to award State Prize to playwright Nguyen Trung Phong

Playwright Nguyen Trung Phong: A life devoted to Nghe An theater

(Baonghean.vn) - Musician Thanh Luu said: "With just "Gian ma thuong" and "Co gai song Lam", playwright Nguyen Trung Phong deserves to receive the State Prize for Literature and Arts."

Overview of the workshop. Photo: Phuoc Anh

Attending the workshop, on the Central side, there were comrades: Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen The Ky - Member of the Party Central Committee, General Director of the Voice of Vietnam, Chairman of the Central Council for Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts; People's Artist Le Tien Tho - Chairman of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association.

On the side of Nghe An province, there were members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee: Cao Thi Hien - Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department, along with representatives of leaders of departments, branches, and relatives of playwright Nguyen Trung Phong.

Delegates attending the conference. Photo: Phuoc Anh

Playwright Nguyen Trung Phong was born in 1929 in Van Tap village, Dien Binh commune, Dien Chau district, in a family of scholars. In his youth, he participated in the mass art movement in Dien Chau; composed and directed scenes and performed on stage to serve the people. In 1950, Nguyen Trung Phong joined the revolution; in 1952, he worked at the Nghe An Propaganda Department. Later, he was Deputy Director of the Nghe - Tinh Culture Department.

What is special about Nguyen Trung Phong is that although he did not attend any formal art school, with his innate talent, he has created many works in many genres, such as Cai Luong, Cheo, Hoai Canh and folk drama. With more than 40 years of dedication to Nghe An culture, he has left behind more than 30 folk works from Hoai Canh to opera.

Among them, there are many works that have been widely received by the public for many generations, such as the play “Co gai song Lam”, the play “Khi ban doi di nang”, the melody “Giận ma thuong”… His works have contributed to the treasure of Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs, so that 5 years ago, UNESCO honored Nghe Tinh Vi and Giam folk songs as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen The Ky speaking at the conference. Photo: Phuoc Anh

Speaking at the workshop, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen The Ky - Member of the Party Central Committee, General Director of the Voice of Vietnam, Chairman of the Central Council for Theory and Criticism of Literature and Arts highly appreciated the important role and contribution of playwright Nguyen Trung Phong to artistic creation activities and also in his position as a manager.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen The Ky emphasized that in order to continue promoting the artistic value of the works of playwright Nguyen Trung Phong, organizations and individuals need to continue to have appropriate activities to comprehensively evaluate the author and works of Nguyen Trung Phong from all angles. The Department of Culture and Sports and the Center for Preservation and Promotion of Nghe An Folk Heritage need to pay attention, learn, stage, and possibly renew the plays and folk songs composed by playwright Nguyen Trung Phong.

The Provincial People's Committee needs to pay attention and direct Dien Chau district to create conditions for the construction of a space for folk music and folk songs associated with the memorial house of playwright Nguyen Trung Phong in his hometown; organize the collection, editing and publication of his works...

"I request the Department of Culture and Sports of Nghe An to coordinate with relevant agencies and the family to complete the dossier and propose awarding the State Prize to playwright Nguyen Trung Phong" - Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen The Ky said.

Delegates visited the exhibition, displaying a number of images, documents and artifacts about playwright Nguyen Trung Phong. Photo: Phuoc Anh

At the conference, delegates who were cultural researchers, contemporaries, and students of playwright Nguyen Trung Phong also presented many papers, affirming his important role in the art of folk drama of Nghe An.