HÀ NỘI — Singer Tố Nga has been awarded the Gold Cup at the 2026 April Spring Friendship Art Festival, one of North Korea’s longest-running and most prestigious international arts festivals.

The achievement not only highlights the singer’s talent but also helps promote Vietnamese culture and arts on the international stage.

Ri Sung Guk, Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to Việt Nam, presents the Gold Cup to singerTố Nga. — Photo courtesy of the artist

Besides her achievement, the art programme Mùa Xuân Từ Mạch Nguồn (Spring from the Source) of the Vietnam National Arts Theatre, also wons the Gold Cup of the festival. A ceremony to receive the prizes has been held by the theatre with the attendance of Ri Sung Guk, Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Việt Nam; Nguyễn Phương Hoa, Director General of the Department of International Cooperation; and artist Nguyễn Xuân Bắc, Director General of the Department of Performing Arts under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

At the ceremony, Ambassador Ri Sung Guk personally presented the Gold Cups and praised the artistic quality of the production.

He said Spring from the Source vividly reflects the longstanding friendship between the peoples of Việt Nam and the DPRK. The programme received positive reviews from the jury, industry experts and audiences in the host country, ultimately winning the festival’s top award.

The April Spring Friendship Art Festival is an international arts festival held biennially in North Korea. The 2026 edition took place from April 1-30, bringing together artists and performing arts companies from 20 countries for a total of 50 performances.

Việt Nam was represented by the Vietnam National Arts Theatre and the Vietnam Circus Federation. All competition entries were broadcast on North Korea’s Central Television as well as on the country’s cultural media platforms.

In addition to the ensemble award, singer Tố Nga received the Gold Cup for her performance of Ca Ngợi Đảng Lao Động Triều Tiên (In Praise of the Workers' Party of Korea). She was the only Vietnamese artist to receive an individual honour at this year's festival, a distinction few Vietnamese performers have achieved despite the country's longstanding participation in the event.

Nga's performance won over North Korean audiences not only through her vocal ability but also through the care she devoted to every detail. In preparation for the festival, she put almost all other performances on hold, dedicating herself to studying the song, learning Korean, familiarising herself with the country's culture and performance style, and choosing a costume suited to the occasion.

“I prepared very carefully for my performance, from selecting a song that suited my voice and learning North Korean pronunciation to choosing my costume,” Nga said.

“I decided to wear a Vietnamese áo dài (long dress) embroidered with the North Korean flag as a gesture of respect for the cultures of both nations.”

She said the biggest challenge was that most well-known North Korean songs are written for soprano voices in an operatic style, whereas she is a mezzo-soprano.

After extensive research and consulting music professionals, she chose In Praise of the Workers' Party of Korea because it best suited her vocal range while conveying the message of the programme.

Particularly, Nga received extensive support from the North Korean Embassy in Việt Nam. A language instructor was assigned to coach her pronunciation, working through the lyrics line by line each day to help her deliver the song as accurately as possible.

On the eve of the competition, the instructor's words – "When I heard you sing, it gave me goosebumps" – gave the singer an added boost of confidence before she took to the stage.

Nga, however, admitted she felt immense pressure, knowing that she was representing not only herself but also Vietnamese artists while performing on the host country's stage.

After the performance, the compliment from her instructor and the warm applause from the North Korean audience convinced her that all the months of preparation had been worthwhile.

“I had thought that if my performance was well received by the North Korean audience and managed to move them, that alone would have been a success,” Nga said.

“So when my name was announced for the Gold Cup, I was overwhelmed with emotion. This is not only a source of personal pride but also an opportunity to help introduce Vietnamese artists and our national cultural identity to international audiences.”

Nga is a singer of the Vietnam National Arts Theatre and has won numerous gold medals at professional music festivals across Việt Nam.

She is widely recognised for patriotic and folk-inspired songs such as Miền Quê Tuổi Thơ Tôi (My Childhood Homeland), Khúc Hát Tâm Tình Của Người Hà Tĩnh (A Heartfelt Song from Hà Tĩnh), Quảng Bình Quê Ta Ơi (Oh, My Quảng Bình), Thương Về Miền Trung (Longing for the Central Region) and Cúc Ơi.

Her music projects, including Cúc Ơi and Gửi Vào Thương Nhớ (Sent with Remembrance), have also been praised for their artistic merit and as tributes to Việt Nam’s fallen heroes and martyrs. — VNS