Thu Nguyen plays the dan tranh, a Vietnamese zither. Photo / Brett Phibbs
You know if you bring your father close to tears, you have done something pretty special.
For 18-year-old Vietnamese student Thu Nguyen, who lives in Auckland, it was not anything to do with her studies, but her hobby.
The emotional response from her Ho Chi Minh-based father, Minh Nguyen, came
after telling him she had taken first place in the American Protege International Music Talent Competition Spring 2015 after composing a piece of music with the dan tranh, a traditional Vietnamese 17-string zither.
It was no small feat; the competition was open to piano, wind, string, brass and traditional instruments and vocalists from all nationalities and countries.
Miss Nguyen, one of a group of winners, will travel to New York in May where she will play at the prestigious Carnegie Hall.
