Artist Quoc Trung, singer Thanh Lam and singer Pham Thu Ha pay respects to “legend” Thai Thi Lien.
Dr. Le Anh Tuan, Director of the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Head of the Funeral Department, came up to deliver the eulogy. He affirmed that People’s Artist Thai Thi Lien is a legend, a great tree of the country’s music industry.
“Over 20 years devoted to the School of Music, People’s Artist Thai Thi Lien is an example of persistent artistic work, a strict and enthusiastic teacher, devoted to her students, whom she considers her children and grandchildren.
She can scold in class when students make mistakes, but she is also meticulous, corrects each finger, notes and encourages timely, clearly praises and criticizes. She instilled in her students a passion for the instrument, honesty both in art and in real life. She is always considerate, loving, and helps her students from material to spiritual. Many of her students are afraid of “Uncle Lien” in class when they haven’t memorized the lesson, but prefer to be near “Ma Lien” when they have sad and happy things,” said Dr. Le Tuan Anh emotionally.
The eldest son – Architect Tran Thanh Binh looked at the coffin of the People’s Artist Thai Thi Lien, saying goodbye to his mother. “I have a life worth living and the lessons from my extraordinary life will follow you forever,” Mr. Binh said. Grateful in this life to be the child of Artist Thai Thi Lien, he hopes that if there is a next life, he will still ask to be her child.
Mr. Binh also mentioned two wishes of his mother at the funeral. One is to donate all funeral money to the National Tuberculosis – Lung Hospital – which saved her life more than 60 years ago.
The second aspiration, she wanted to hear her son – People’s Artist Dang Thai Son say goodbye with the immortal song “Funeral March” by Chopin.
Relatives, friends and generations of artists in the moment of mourning and seeing off the artist and People’s Artist Thai Thi Lien to their final resting place.
Mr. Tran Thanh Binh bowed his head to thank those who came to see his mother off.
Artist, People’s Artist Thai Thi Lien was buried at Lac Hong Vien Cemetery Park (Ky Son District, Hoa Binh Province).
Artist, People’s Teacher Thai Thi Lien, was born on August 4, 1918 in Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh City in a family of great intellectuals. Her father is Mr. Thai Van Lan, one of the first electrical engineers in Vietnam to graduate in France.
People’s artist and teacher Thai Thi Lien has been active in the revolution since early, at home and abroad. While working in France, she also represented Vietnam to attend and speak at the World Conference of Women in Africa.
Artist Thai Thi Lien went to France to study abroad in 1946 and married the revolutionary Tran Ngoc Danh – the younger brother of General Secretary Tran Phu.
In 1948, Mr. Tran Ngoc Danh was assigned the task of being the first Vietnamese ambassador to Czechoslovakia, and Ms. Lien also followed her husband to work.
In 1951, the domestic war raged fiercely. From Czechoslovakia, she followed her husband straight to Viet Bac, participating in the arduous battle with her comrades.
Unfortunately, her husband died due to illness in Viet Bac, leaving her with two children, Tran Thu Ha and Tran Thanh Binh. Her husband took a while, she married the famous musician and poet Dang Dinh Hung – a politician from the Central People’s Dance Union when the two worked together in Viet Bac. The two have a common child, People’s Artist Dang Thai Son.
In 1980, after the first prize of Concours Chopin by artist Dang Thai Son, she went abroad to live with her youngest son, going through many countries such as the Soviet Union, Japan, and Canada.
In 2013, due to old age and weak health, she returned home to live near her two first children in Hanoi.
She took her last breath on January 31 at her home in Hanoi.