violin and piano) are some of Nguyễn Thanh Tùng's compositions. "Moon and River", composed for monochord, zither and percussion, won the Special Award in the Composition Competition held by the Vietnam National Music Academy. The piece was composed after a sleepless painful night of nostalgia. Thanh Tùng recalled his childhood days walking on the riverside with his grandfather in the moonlight. He thought his life was like a river, turning peaceful only after storms. Style Thanh Tùng's monochord performances are purely moving, expressing love and his own difficult life experience. He enjoys improvising and usually improvises traditional melodies. However, he dislikes modern techniques applied to the monochord performance such as using the pedal to move up or down several octaves currently popular with many Vietnamese musicians. Thanh Tùng usually develops complex melodies in his composition where there is no leading instrument. This can be seen in his composition "Moon and river." In general, Thanh Tùng's works are mixed between pure emotions and philosophy of life. The melodies are clearly contrasted with each other, resembling his struggle in music. References External links Đời vẫn xanh rời rợi Tiếng đàn bầu của nạn nhân chất độc da cam tại Pháp Living people People from Hanoi Vietnamese composers 1979 births Blind musicians