Korean soprano Cho Hae Ryong has become a familiar face on Vietnamese stages, earning praise for her crystal-clear voice and remarkably natural Vietnamese pronunciation despite not speaking the language fluently.
Korean soprano Cho Hae Ryong has captivated audiences with her crystal-clear voice, earning the affectionate nickname "The Voice from Heaven."
During a visit to her home in An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, VietNamNet spoke with Cho Hae Ryong. Her husband, musician and Dr. Dao Nhat Quang, sat beside her throughout the interview, occasionally helping with translation and providing additional context.
Before we begin, I have to ask whether I'm pronouncing your name correctly. And how did such a graceful singer end up with a name that sounds so powerful - Hae Ryong?
Cho Hae Ryong: My original name is actually Cho Hye Ryoung. Years ago, my passport was issued with an incorrect spelling, and I've been using Hae Ryong ever since. I've thought about changing it back, but everyone already knows me by this name.
Cho Hae Ryong performs at Ho Guom Opera House.
How did you feel knowing that senior Vietnamese leaders were sitting in the audience while you were performing?
Cho Hae Ryong: I've been fortunate enough to perform before South Korean leaders, members of the Korean National Assembly, officials from the Russian government, and more recently, Vietnamese leaders. Having had those opportunities before, I don't feel too nervous anymore. Instead, I feel honored, excited and even more energized.
Dao Nhat Quang: In April this year, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and the First Lady paid a state visit to Vietnam.
On the morning of April 22, Hae Ryong met President Lee in Hanoi as a South Korean artist currently working in Ho Chi Minh City.
Unfortunately, immediately after the meeting we flew back to Ho Chi Minh City because that evening General Secretary and President To Lam, together with his spouse, hosted the state banquet for President Lee and the First Lady.
After the event, the organizers called to say they regretted not being able to invite Hae Ryong to perform.
We were disappointed too. If we had stayed in Hanoi just one more day, it would have been a truly meaningful occasion.
How has your schedule been recently?
Cho Hae Ryong: Before moving to Canada, I performed quite frequently. After spending six years there, I now appear in about one concert each month.
I also haven't returned to teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music because I've only recently moved back to Vietnam and haven't completed the paperwork for a long-term visa.
Besides performing, I founded the Saigon Ladies Singers, an 11-member vocal ensemble that includes distinguished artists and lecturers such as Pham Khanh Ngoc, Thanh Nga, Thu Huong and Hoang Kim.
I also established the Korean Children's Choir, with around 40 young singers, and conduct another choir of about 40 members at my church.
My father was a choir conductor, so he introduced me to this work from an early age.
When I founded the Korean Children's Choir, I wanted to contribute to the Korean community in Vietnam and help children connect with both Korean and international culture.
The children especially enjoy singing Vietnamese songs and have even performed in programs organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO).
As an opera singer, do you miss performing opera now that you mostly sing lighter repertoire?
Cho Hae Ryong: It's a challenge shared by many singers, not just me. My former students and younger artists like Pham Khanh Ngoc face the same reality, which is unfortunate.
I miss the opera stage very much.
I first attended an opera performance when I was 13 through a school program. I fell completely in love with it and decided then that I wanted to become an opera singer.
Over the years, I've performed leading roles in productions including The Magic Flute, Bastien und Bastienne by Mozart, Dido and Aeneas by Purcell, and Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni.
However, I have to admit there aren't many roles that truly suit my voice.
Cho Hae Ryong at her home. Photo: Loan Le.
My voice is classified as a lyric soprano. It isn't heavy enough for the spinto repertoire, nor is it light and agile enough for coloratura roles.
Oratorios, cantatas and chamber music suit my voice best.
The awards I received at international competitions in Russia and South Korea were all for chamber music performances rather than opera.
Another challenge is the shortage of large-scale opera venues.
A professionally staged opera production requires a theater with around 1,000 to 1,200 seats to generate enough ticket revenue. A venue with only 400 seats simply isn't financially viable.
These days, people often say AI will replace everything.
But I believe that five years from now, we'll cherish live music even more because the emotions and experiences audiences feel during a live performance are things AI simply cannot recreate.
There's a Chinese saying: "Great teachers produce outstanding students." Since you've trained acclaimed soprano Pham Khanh Ngoc, I'm curious about your own teaching approach.
Cho Hae Ryong: I began teaching at the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music in 2009 and moved to Canada with my two children in 2019.
If my Vietnamese still isn't completely fluent today, then during those first 10 years I could barely speak it at all. (laughs)
Soprano Pham Khanh Ngoc, once Cho Hae Ryong's student, is now one of her closest collaborators on stage. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Professor Ta Minh Tam supported me tremendously.
He trusted my teaching ability and often recommended his most talented students to study with me.
He had an excellent eye for recognizing potential, and many of those students later became accomplished professional singers.
During those first 10 years, I taught mostly through singing demonstrations and occasional English.
Back in 2009, internet resources were still limited. Students didn't have countless instructional videos or AI tools like ChatGPT to consult.
For them, studying with someone who had received formal training at Ewha Womans University in South Korea and the Novosibirsk State Conservatory in Russia was a valuable opportunity.
At the same time, I learned a great deal of Vietnamese from my students.
Even if I don't speak it perfectly, I can understand almost everything people say.
You've lived in Vietnam for nearly 20 years. Why don't you speak Vietnamese more fluently?
Cho Hae Ryong: Around 70% of my daily life is still conducted in Korean.
I mainly use Vietnamese when teaching.
At home, my husband, our children and I communicate in several languages - Vietnamese, Korean, English and Russian.
Cho Hae Ryong at a recent event. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Vietnamese people are incredibly friendly and understanding toward foreigners.
Whenever I go to the market and speak imperfect Vietnamese, everyone understands me and responds warmly. No one criticizes my mistakes.
Many young shop assistants even speak Korean because they're fans of K-pop.
Dao Nhat Quang: Part of that is my fault.
Sometimes we agree to speak only Vietnamese at home, but after two or three days we naturally switch back.
I'm not strict about which language we use. I simply want Hae Ryong to communicate in whichever language feels most comfortable.
You may not speak Vietnamese fluently, but when you sing, your pronunciation sounds remarkably natural. How did you achieve that?
Cho Hae Ryong: I actually think Vietnamese is more difficult to pronounce accurately than many other foreign languages.
Fortunately, during university I received extensive training in techniques for singing in different languages.
I've applied those same methods to Vietnamese.
Even today, I continue learning from my students and my husband so I can refine my Vietnamese pronunciation even further.
Career highlights
Dao Nhat Quang, born in 1969, went to Russia at the age of 13 to study at the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory, where he trained under renowned clarinet professor Petrov.
He graduated with honors in 1992 and later pursued postgraduate studies in 1999.
Born in 1973, Cho Hae Ryong began studying classical voice at the Busan Arts School at the age of 16.
She later attended the prestigious Ewha Womans University, studying for six years under Professor Shinja Kim, one of South Korea's leading sopranos, and earned a master's degree.
Her pure, soaring voice - especially in sacred music - has earned her the audience-given nickname "The Voice from Heaven."
She later continued advanced studies at the Novosibirsk State Conservatory in Russia.
She became the first Asian recipient of a commendation at the Abrazova International Chamber Music Competition and later won first prize at the Korean Voice Competition after returning to South Korea.
Dao Nhat Quang and Cho Hae Ryong met while studying in Russia. They married in 2001.
The couple lived and worked in South Korea from 2001 to 2009 before moving to Vietnam, where they remained until 2019.
When their two children began studying abroad, the family relocated to Canada from 2019 to 2025. Between 2022 and 2025, both served as professors at the Canada Christian College.
In 2025, after their children had settled into their new lives, Dao Nhat Quang and Cho Hae Ryong returned to Vietnam to continue their careers.
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