VietNamNet Bridge – Composer Cellist Hoang Duong (Ngo Hoang Duong) passed away on Monday 30 January, according to an announcement from his close relatives.

Composer Cellist Hoang Duong. — VNA/VNS Photo

Born in 1933, his few but significant works are household favourites, especially his masterpiece Huong Ve Ha Noi (Towards Ha Noi), which was written in late 1953 and early 1954.

The young composer was part of a military campaign to recapture the capital city from occupying French forces. The song, which he penned after a night march in the outskirts of the capital, was to become one of the most beloved songs by the revolutionary fighters of the time.

“I was looking towards Ha Noi. The city appears in the horizon as a light sphere, so far away yet so close to our heart.”, said the composer as he shared the story behind his famous work with Viet Nam News in an interview in 2014.

After the war, Hoang Duong worked at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. He was credited as a leading figure in the development of the country’s instrumental music scene and the academy’s string department.

Source: VNS