Professor and musician Ca Lê Thuần has passed away.

This morning, at 9:30 a.m., Professor and musician Ca Lê Thuần passed away at Thống Nhất Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City. Musician Ca Lê Thuần was 78 years old.

Earlier, in mid-November 2016, musician Ca Lê Thuần was hospitalized due to a stroke and was treated in the senior officials' ward of Thống Nhất Hospital.

Professor and musician Ca Lê Thuần passed away this morning after a long period of illness.

The wife of composer Ca Lê Thuần, Meritorious Artist Mỹ An, a vocal teacher, is also receiving treatment at Hoàn Mỹ Hospital. Upon hearing the news of her husband's passing, she was brought to the hospital by family members to see him one last time. The composer's only daughter, currently residing in the United States, also quickly returned home as soon as possible after hearing the news.

Upon hearing the news of the passing of musician Ca Lê Thuần, many musicians and singers were surprised and saddened. In the final days of the year, as everyone was preparing to welcome the new year, this was truly sad news for Vietnamese music, which has already suffered immense losses over the past two years, from the passing of musical giants to the loss of young singers and songwriters.

Composer Ca Lê Thuần, born in 1938, held many important positions in music and arts activities: General Secretary of the Vietnam Musicians Association, 4th term (1989-1995), Deputy Head of the Central Committee for Culture and Arts, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Union of Vietnamese Literature and Arts Associations, and Chairman of the Union of Literature and Arts Associations of Ho Chi Minh City.

From 1987 to 1997, he was a member of the National Assembly and the deputy chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, and Children. In 1989, he became the director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Information.

In 1997, composer Ca Lê Thuần returned to the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, serving as its director until his retirement. From 2001, he was the general secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Music Association.

From the late 1960s to the present day, he has consistently trained and mentored many generations of musicians in Vietnam. He specializes in teaching polyphonics, harmony, and musical analysis to Composition and Music Theory classes. Besides instrumental music, he also composes music for films, stage productions, dances, and several songs.

Some representative works include: Homeland Uprising (piano), Days Gone By (violin and piano), 12 Préludes and 8 Fugnes for piano, The Stance of Vietnam (symphonic painting), City on the Road (choral and symphony orchestra), The Daughter of the Red Land (dance drama), Vietnam: The Song of Our Hearts (choral), Light and Darkness (music for dance), Red Pearl (symphonic suite, dance drama), Luc Van Tien - Kieu Nguyet Nga (dance drama)...

Throughout his artistic career, he received numerous awards, medals, and commemorative plaques for his music: the B Prize of the Liberation Arts Association (1976), the A Prize of the Department of Music and Dance (1980), the Second Prize of the Vietnam Musicians Association (1998), and Gold and Silver Medals at the First Vietnam Dance Drama Festival (2001).

Composer Ca Lê Thuần was also awarded state medals for other contributions.

According to VOV