Artist To Nga secures gold at DPRK 2026 April Spring Friendship Art Festival

The award is regarded as one of the festival's highest honours and has been achieved by only a limited number of Vietnamese artists.

The Vietnam National Music, Song and Dance Theatre held a ceremony in Hanoi on June 24 to receive the Gold Cup from the festival's organising committee for the theatre’s collective performance at the event.

DPRK Ambassador to Vietnam Ri Sung Guk, on behalf of the festival’s organising committee, presented the honour to the theatre.

Participants highlighted the theatre's achievement at the international arts festival and emphasised the importance of cultural exchanges between Vietnam and the DPRK.

Held annually in the DPRK, the 2026 April Spring Friendship Art Festival took place from April 1 to 30, featuring 50 performances by artistic delegations from 20 countries. Vietnam was represented by the Vietnam National Music, Song and Dance Theatre and the Vietnam Circus Federation.

According to organisers, the theatre’s performance stood out for its profound political message, high artistic quality and portrayal of friendship between the peoples of Vietnam and the DPRK. The production received strong praise from the jury, arts professionals and local audiences, earning the festival's top honour.

Alongside the collective achievement, the theatre also celebrated an individual success as Meritorious Artist To Nga received the Gold Cup for her performance in praise of the Workers' Party of Korea. She was the only Vietnamese artist honoured in the individual category at this year's festival.

Through extensive preparation in language, cultural understanding and performance style, To Nga won over audiences by performing the song in Korean. Many audience members expressed their emotion at hearing a beloved national song interpreted by a Vietnamese singer.

Speaking after receiving the prize, To Nga described the achievement as the result of months of dedicated preparation. She said she temporarily set aside other performance commitments to focus on language study, vocal training, research and refinement of every aspect of her presentation.

“I carefully prepared every detail, from selecting a song suitable for my voice to learning the language, practicing pronunciation and choosing the right costume,” she shared.

To Nga noted that one of the greatest challenges was finding a suitable song for her mezzo-soprano voice, as many DPRK compositions are written for higher operatic ranges. After extensive research and practice, she ultimately selected the song in praise of the Workers' Party of Korea.

To prepare for the competition, the singer worked closely with a Korean-language pronunciation instructor introduced by the DPRK Embassy in Vietnam. Together, they refined every detail of her pronunciation to ensure the strongest possible performance.

According to the artist, performing on the festival stage and receiving recognition from local audiences was already a rewarding experience. The Gold Cup represents not only a memorable achievement in her career but also an opportunity to promote Vietnamese artists and culture on the international stage.

Art exchange links Vietnamese, Korean artists in Phu Tho

VOV.VN - An international art exchange exhibition themed “Cultural Flow” opened on April 22 at Hung Vuong University, organised by the Phu Tho Literature and Arts Associations in coordination with the provincial Fine Arts Association.