HANOI: Dao Le Phuong Chi, a student at Vietnam National Academy of Music, has triumphed over 600 contestants to win the highest prize in the Hanoi Singing Contest 2025.
Chi won over the judges and the audience with her performances of Song Dakrong Mua Xuan Ve (Dakrong River in Spring) and Nguoi Hanoi (Hanoians).
According to the judges, she has a “powerful voice, solid technique, delicate handling, and profound expressiveness” – important attributes that helped her stand out among this year’s contestants.
Along with the championship title, Chi also received a prize of VNĐ600 million (US$25,000), which includes a VinFast VF5 car and cash.
“Becoming the champion of the Hanoi Singing Contest makes me feel very emotional; I have grown a lot,” Chi said, adding that she hoped to continue receiving the support of the audience in the future.
In addition to the highest title, awards in different music genres and categories were also presented to outstanding contestants.
One of the highlights of the final night was the appearance of Vu Tan Dat, the son of the famous singer Trong Tan, one of the nation's top male vocalists.
He performed two songs that his father had been renowned for – To Quoc Toi Chua Dep The Bao Gio (My Homeland Has Never Been So Beautiful) and Truyen Thuyet Ho Guom (Legend of Sword Lake).
After a confident opening performance, the 20-year-old won the second prize in the Chamber music category.
Vu Tan Dat won the second prize in the Chamber music category.
The judges praised Dat for his dignified performance style and his heartfelt, rustic voice that flows smoothly.
He revealed that his goal in participating in the competition was not to "surpass his father" but to gain experience and challenge himself. “I want to test my abilities, learn and find my own musical path, not live in my father's shadow,” he said.
Hanoi Singing Contest kicked off in November, attracting over 900 contestants. Through the preliminary and semi-final rounds, 15 outstanding voices from three music genres, folk, chamber and pop music, advanced to the final competition. The finals included three themed nights and one ranking night for the awards ceremony.
The judging panel for the competition consisted of 36 esteemed artists and musicians in the music field, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation and contributing to the identification of truly outstanding talents throughout the competition.
In the final night of the competition, each contestant performed two songs, one of which had to be about Hanoi capital city. This requirement to include a song about the capital allowed the contestants to express deep emotions while creating an artistic atmosphere rich with the essence of Hanoi.
The performances were staged and delivered with a spirit of creativity, showcasing the thorough preparation of each contestant in terms of vocal technique, handling of the music, and performance style.
A highlight of this year's competition is the participation of numerous contestants from countries such as China, Russia, South Korea, Japan and Mongolia. This expansion of the participant pool reflects the organisers’ ambition to make the singing contest an international platform, while also promoting Vietnamese music and the image of the capital to friends around the world.
Two international contestants, Mao Jia Le from China and Elena Yugay from Russia, won Hanoi Inspiration Prizes for their inspiring performances that captured the essence of Hanoi.
Russian contestant Elena Yugay, won the Hanoi Inspiration Prize.
Yugay said: “My goal in this year's competition is to introduce Russian culture to the Vietnamese audience. I have translated several modern songs from Russian into Vietnamese to share and spread these works to all Vietnamese viewers.”
At the awarding ceremony, the organisers of Hanoi Singing Contest have donated VNĐ100 million (US$4,100) to the Charity Account of Hanoi Radio and Television to support those suffering from recent natural disasters. — VNS
