5 years old, Vietnamese boy Nguyen Viet Trung followed his sister to her music school. During the break, he curiously toyed with a piano in his sister’s class. Seven years later, the boy is astonishing the Polish music world.

Biuletvn Informacyiny, a reputed music magazine in Poland, writes about Trung as follows: “Nguyen Viet Trung, from Vietnam, is a young piano talent, who feels music by a pure and fresh soul. The talent of this 12-year-old boy can compare to outstanding last-year students of big conservatories of music, though he has been studying music for only six years”.

Twoja Muza, another famous music magazine in Poland, in its issue dated December 2008, called Trung “a Polish music star with clear piano talent. His hands move all hearts. He went on and off the stage, earning constant tremendous applause from the audience after playing an immortal work by Liszt”.

The article listed Trung’s awards: first prize at a piano contest for kids in Poland in 2003, the Golden Musical Note at an international contest in 2006 where contestants only played Mozart works, third prize in an international music contest in 2007, the grand prize for playing Chopin music for foreign children in Poland in February 2008.

In late 2008, Trung won second prize at an international piano contest in Poland. When Trung registered for the contest, the organisers were surprised and they thought Trung mistakenly registered. They couldn’t believe that a 12-year-old boy wanted to participate in a contest in which the youngest contestants were 16-17.

When Trung came out on the stage, the audience and jury were surprised to see the tiny boy who timidly approached the piano. With four difficult music works by J.S. Bach, F. Liszt, F. Chopin and J. Berkowicz, Trung passed three rounds of competition to enter the finals. On the final night, the concerto by W.A. Mozart, F-dur KV 413 played by Trung moved the hearts and the souls of listeners.

When Trung finished his part, the theatre was quiet for a moment, then tremendous applause broke out. The Vietnamese boy had to come back on stage several times to thank the audience.

I met him at a Christmas Eve party in Vietnam. Trung didn’t look like a serious music prodigy, but a mischievous Vietnamese boy.

“My mother anxiously waited for the results but I knew everything was okay,” Trung said about his latest contest.

“What do you mean?

“I went up to the jury area. The chief of the jury shook hands with me. He said nothing but I knew that it was good.”

“Why did you think that it was good?”

“If it was not good, why would he shake my hand?”

Trung was born in Hanoi. Before he could talk, he was sent to Poland because his father did business there. Several years later, his father and brother returned to Vietnam. Trung, his sister and mother stayed in Poland.

Trung came to music by chance. One day the 5-year-old boy followed his sister to the piano club of Professor Filomena Dziedzic. During the break, the curious boy touched a piano. The famous music professor heard the sound made by the boy. She asked him to do again.

Trung’s fingers innocently touched the keys but the soul from the piano astonished the experienced and famous professor. She told Trung’s mother about the boy’s special talent in music. Trung’s parents decided to send the boy to a local music school. Trung easily passed the test to enter this school.

After six years studying music, Trung has become famous in Poland, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine. He has his own album for sale.

“I live in Poland but my idol is Dang Thai Son,” Trung said.

It is expected that in the near future, Vietnam will have a second Dang Thai Son.

Trung will return to Vietnam to perform in a concert by young overseas Vietnamese music talents in Europe and Australia at the Hanoi Opera House on February 22, 2009. The concert, held by the National Vietnam Music Institute, will be conducted by bandmaster Le Phi Phi.

VietNamNet/TT