Vietnamese Music

The Vietnamese music is at this point at the crossroads of two very powerful cultural currents. These powerful currents are no doubt the Chinese and the Indian currents. These cultural elements and currents have influenced Vietnam. Evidences of these influences can be found in the Vietnamese Music.



The influence of India can be dated back to the beginning of the Lyù dynasties. The musical tunes in the Vietnamese music were composed with Indian inspiration. The predominant emotions that featured in the Vietnamese music were sad and languid.

These emotions were known by the names of Nam Binh, Nam Ai, Nam Thuong and Nam Khach.

The Chinese influence on Vietnamese Music can be traced back to the period of the Hoàng Ñöùc dynasty.

This was the period when King Leâ Thaùnh Toân issued an order to the National Academy to undertake extensive research on Chinese music. During the elapse of this period, music and song were mainly and highly focused towards rites and ceremonies at the royal court. But soon they became a speciality of the private groups.

In the period of the 18th century, when the Vietnamese people came into close contact with the Western civilization there was a large amount of enthusiasm in Vietnam that was generated for European music.



The National Conservatory of Music was created in Saigon by The Ministry for National Education of South Vietnam.

This National Conservatory of Music has set for itself the task of renovating the Vietnamese music. The National Conservatory of Music, on the basis of a new synthesis of Oriental and Occidental arts has undertaken this aim and task.