Director of Son La Provincial Song and Dance Theatre, Meritorious Artist Doan The Hung

The theater also nurtured the souls of many artists and singers, including its director, Meritorious Artist Doan The Hung.

After more than 70 years of construction and development, the Son La Provincial Music and Dance Theatre has launched thousands of performances, serving millions of viewers.

These achievements are the result of the determination, unity, and solidarity of the theater's leadership team, including the contributions of Director, Meritorious Artist Doan The Hung, with his management methods, program development, and organization that fulfill political objectives as well as meet the artistic needs of local audiences.

Meritorious Artist Thế Hùng was born and raised in Mộc Châu Farm Town, Mộc Châu District. His love for music was awakened from a young age, after watching the workers in the collective housing area play guitar and sing on the meadows on moonlit nights.

After two years of training at the Son La School of Culture and Arts and the Military School of Culture and Arts, in 1988, he joined the Son La Provincial Song and Dance Troupe (now the Son La Provincial Song and Dance Theatre). In 1999, artist Doan The Hung won first prize in the provincial Sao Mai singing competition and reached the national finals. His name became widely known from then on. In 2004, he passed the entrance exam and began studying at the Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Mentioning Meritorious Artist Thế Hùng brings to mind his unique voice; he was the first singer to perform many songs about Sơn La, warming the hearts of countless music lovers.

Working at the Son La Provincial Music and Dance Theatre, the artist quickly became a leading vocalist, especially in musical programs staged and performed by the Theatre for major national and provincial events, as well as national and regional art festivals, competitions, and contests.

He has won numerous medals of various kinds, contributing to the overall achievements of the Son La Provincial Song and Dance Theatre.

In 2009, he was appointed Deputy Director of the Son La Provincial Song and Dance Theatre, in charge of professional matters. In 2023, he officially became the Director of the theatre, and together with the Board of Directors and the artists and performers of the theatre, he has created strong transformations, affirming the artistic quality of the Son La Theatre.

In order to collect, compose, refine, and develop artistic programs, the Board of Directors, the Art Council, and the team of directors, musicians, and choreographers of the unit have diligently visited the villages of ethnic minorities each year to research and collect traditional folk songs, folk music, and folk dances that are unique to each ethnic group.

Through this, the theater preserves and safeguards the value of ancient folk songs, folk music, ancient dances, and characteristic festivals of each ethnic group. At the same time, the theater invites representative artisans from each ethnic group to teach the artists and performers the techniques and skills of performing traditional folk songs, folk dances, and folk music, so that they can apply them in their compositions, productions, and performances.

Every year, the theater dedicates an average of 60-70 days, overcoming difficulties and hardships, to organizing touring performances for audiences in districts, communes, and villages throughout the province, with a particular focus on remote areas, resettlement areas, and mountainous border regions; making a significant contribution to improving the spiritual life and raising the intellectual level of ethnic minorities.

The theater has always been dynamic and successfully completed its assigned tasks. In addition, the theater has also built upon its achievements in organizing performances for major international events held in Vietnam, as well as for international delegations and guests visiting and working in the province.

Particularly in recent years, with the "Da Giang Sediment" art program participating in the 2021 National Music and Dance Festival (Phase 1) in Hai Phong City, the Theater won a Silver Medal for the entire program; 2 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, and 1 Bronze Medal for individual performances; an Excellence Award for the dance team and an Excellence Award for the composer.

The art program with the theme "Sounds of the Distant Land" participated in the 2023 National Solo and Ensemble Traditional Musical Instrument Competition in Hoa Binh City, winning 1 Second Prize in Solo Performance and 1 Second Prize in Ensemble Performance…

Thanks to the efforts and dedication of its staff and artists, the Son La Provincial Song and Dance Theatre has been recognized by the State, Son La province, and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism with many prestigious medals and titles, most recently the First Class Labor Medal in 2022 awarded by the President of Vietnam.

The successes of the Theatre cannot be mentioned without acknowledging the role of Meritorious Artist The Hung. In 2023, Mr. Hung was honored by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism as one of the 78 exemplary individuals in the cultural sector. This is a recognition of his efforts in developing and building the Theatre into a strong institution, becoming one of the leading art units in the country.

Phuong Dinh