HÀ NỘI — Three students from the Việt Nam Music Academy have won two golds and one silver at the 6th Asia-Pacific Arts Festival in Singapore.

Đặng Khánh Linh performed Panis Angelicus in her opera style soprano voice, wowing the crowd before she even started singing with her specially designed dress last week.

Her performance was highly appreciated for her good music sense, confident style and appearance, winning her gold.

Phạm Yến Nhi showed off her mezzo soprano voice with a performance of Amor Preparami by Alessandro Scarlatti, but missed a few key notes that meant she had to settle for silver.

Phương Nga, deputy head of the academy’s Vocal Faculty said she was disappointed Nhi did not win gold.

“If she had been more confident she may have won the gold because her voice is very rare,” Nga said.

Nga has trained the two students since they entered the acamedy.

“Khánh Linh and Yến Nhi have spared no efforts to practise and are alway eager to learn,” Nga said.

“Though they are very young and have only been studying professional music for two years, both of them have advanced processing techniques, good voice control and are gaining in confidence on stage.”

Linh said she would follow the folk music genre while Nhi preferred semi classical.

At the same festival in Singapore, Đào Diễm Quỳnh, 14, won the gold prize in the amateur category. She performed O Sole Mio.

Teacher Nga said Quỳnh had just ten lessons before the contest, which were Quỳnh’s first formal training.

Quỳnh stunned her teacher with her wide ranging soprano voice.

“In order to possess that range many students have to spend two years in training,” Nga said.

Quỳnh is the daughter of popular singers Phương Nga and Nguyên Vũ, who are both vocal teachers at the academy.

However, Quỳnh said she wanted to become a medical doctor rather than an artist like her parents. — VNS