HẢI DƯƠNG — Celebrated folk musician Trần Văn Xâm, who is dubbed as ‘virtuoso of nhị', Vietnamese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, has died from leukaemia at the age of 39. 

Music critic and researcher Nguyễn Quang Long, a friend of Xâm said he didn’t reveal his condition to any friends and still took his junior students to Hà Nội to perform at walking street by Hoàn Kiếm Lake.

The artist also didn’t hesitate to take part in performances and concerts whenever he received an invitation.

“The sound of his fiddle is wonderfully intoxicating. It comes from a special player who seemed to forget everything around him to devote only to the instrument. For me, he is a true virtuoso of Vietnamese two-chord fiddle," Long said.

The Director of the Việt Nam National Academy of Music, Lê Anh Tuấn, said that he has a great impression of Xâm as a young, talented, passionate artist. He is also a very attentive and responsible lecturer.

“We met the last time in June when Xâm offered piano accompaniment to his student at a talent competition. When I asked about his health, he said that he was fine,” Tuấn recalled.

“He didn’t show any signs of serious illness as he was always optimistic and cheerful. I even decided to add his name to some important concerts held by the academy.

However, one month after the student graduation examination in June, he was hospitalized. And because he didn’t tell others about his health none of us knew, that's what we regret," Tuấn added.

A native of Hải Dương Province, when he was only seven years old, Xâm left his home village to follow his music passion of playing nhị, or erhu, at the National Academy of Music.

In 2012, he overcame more than 2,000 competitors to win the second prize in an international competition for erhu held in Shanghai, China.

Over the past year, despite the burning heat of summer or the chill winter weather, any pedestrian on Hoàn Kiếm Lake walking street could enjoy the charming sound of his erhu and his students from the Nét Nhị Cầm nhị musical group founded by himself.

Attached to his two-string fiddle for more than 30 years, Xâm brought the instrument to a new level - even playing jazz with this gear. In 2005, he became a member of the Phương Bắc Jazz Band, which was later among the winners of the 2005 Music Voting Award.

He also shared the stage with pop singer Tuấn Hưng and contemporary violinist Hoàng Rob in their concerts.

Xâm’s funeral was held on Monday at his house in Hàm Hy Hamlet in Cộng Lạc Commune, Tứ Kỳ District, Hải Dương. VNS