Vu Nhat Tan's studio

This is where Vu Nhat Tan does most of his work and many of his collaborative recordings.







He talked about his first exposure to music other than the pre-19th century western art music taught at the conservatory, by two ex-pat Vietnamese composers: Nguyen Thien Dao and Ton That Tiet who are both based in France. These two composers were very influential in Nhat Tan's early classical contemporary music. But there is/was little support for him in the conservatory/government. He is mostly self-taught in the contemporary idiom, which is quite a feat in Vietnam. Internet infrastructure was not really up in Vietnam until 1995, and it has only recently been fast enough to upload and download things in a way that might be useful to musicians. Recordings, scores, and books about contemporary music are scarce. When Nhat Tan went abroad for the first time in Germany in 2000, he photocopied entire books and scores to take back to Vietnam with him to study. These are just a few of many that he has collected while abroad.







Some of Nhat Tan's favorite composers who had an influence on him early on were Pederecki, Takemitsu, Stockhausen, Xenakis, Cage. Now though, he says he listens to too much and too much influences him to really separate out important composer/artists.

His support comes completely from foreign institutions/foundations. He is constantly writing project proposals and applying for grants. He is trying to start an Experimental Music Center that would be part of the Ha Noi Conservatory and has applied to four different foreign foundations to fund it. Although he needs to apply to Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in order to have permission to start the center, the government is not willing to fund it. He says all contemporary musical activities in Vietnam right now are private activities by individuals finding their own private support. He also says most contemporary artists in Vietnam are looking for ways to leave the country and be supported elsewhere, rather than starting institutions in Vietnam that would support a new generation of musicians in the country. This is completely understandable, as finding foreign support is the only way that Vietnamese contemporary artists are able to survive right now. Nhat Tan says that he need to worry about his own survival first, and long lasting institutions second.

He gave me a big stack of recordings of his to listen to.

His parents are incredibly supportive of his work. His father is a musicologist. It's funny how he wishes he had the easy access that US-based musicians have to foundations/institutes for support that just don't exist in Vietnam, while I wish I had the familial emotional/psychological support that he recieves.