Ioannis Maronitis, president of the Federation of UNESCO Clubs of Europe and North America and president of the UNESCO Club of Piraeus and Islands Greece, presents the certificate to Huyền Trang.

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese musician Huyền Trang has received the 2026 Pioneering Artist in Safeguarding and Promoting Folk Music award from the UNESCO Associations Network in Athens, Greece on September 22. 

The award recognises her creative contributions to preserving, practising and promoting folk music, helping to spread cultural heritage to communities and younger generations.

Born and raised in the central province of Nghệ An, Trang first studied the đàn bầu, a Vietnamese monochord zither, before pursuing vocal studies at the Military University of Culture and Arts.

“I am very happy to receive this honour, as it is not only a recognition and encouragement, but also strengthens my belief that I have chosen the right path in music," Trang said at the ceremony. 

“Preserving and promoting the traditional values, heritage and cultural identity of each country is no easy task amid global integration, and Việt Nam is no exception.

"As a young artist who has pursued folk music for more than a decade, I have always been aware of this responsibility and remained committed to the path, not only to develop my career but also to help preserve and promote the cultural heritage and identity of Việt Nam."

During her visit to Greece, she also got the opportunity to meet fellow artists and watch a performance by a folk and traditional dance ensemble from the island of Crete. 

Trang has also won the folk-inspired music category at the 2013 Sao Mai Singing Contest. First conceived as the National Television Singing Festival in 1997, the contest aims to promote singing among people nationwide and communities of overseas Vietnamese.

This is the only singing contest nationwide featuring three genres of chamber music, folk-inspired music and pop. Many well-known Vietnamese singers have emerged from the contest. 

In folk music, Trang has developed a distinctive style by incorporating classical vocal techniques and pop music elements to give her singing greater versatility and expressiveness.

In recent years, she has also explored other genres including semi-classical. In 2025, she collaborated with Oplus on Tôi yêu Việt Nam (I Love Việt Nam), experimenting with a blend of pop and rap. — VNS