Musician Pham Tuyen (born in 1930) was originally from the old Hai Duong (now Hai Phong), and is one of the big names of modern Vietnamese music.
He owns a fortune of nearly 700 songs, with many famous works: "Như có Bác trong ngày đại thắng", "Từ một ngã tư đường phố", "Gửi nắng cho em", "Con kênh ta đào", "Thành phố mười mùa hoa"...
He also composed about 200 songs for children, including the songs: "The Star Lamp", "The Little Elephant in Ban Don", "Our School is a Kindergarten", "Teen and Mother", "The Swallow of Childhood", "Fireworks Night"... which have become an unforgettable part of the memory of many generations.
Pham Tuyen used to be Head of the Music Editorial Board, Head of the Music Troupe of Voice of Vietnam Radio; Head of the Arts and Literature Department of Vietnam Television; Chairman of the Hanoi Musicians Association from 1996 to 2015. In addition, he was also a Standing Member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Musicians Association, making an important contribution to building Vietnamese music.
The male musician retired in 1994, more than 30 years after retiring, Pham Tuyen received a pension of 15 million VND/month.
Sharing with Lao Dong reporters, journalist Pham Hong Tuyen - daughter of musician Pham Tuyen said - her father has a simple, quiet lifestyle in his collective house.
Despite his old age, musician Pham Tuyen is still passionate about reading books, printed newspapers, and watching television programs. Despite difficulty walking and needing someone to help him, every day he still takes some time to go to the living room to have dinner and watch TV with his children and grandchildren.
Musician Pham Tuyen's daughter said that her father has suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for many years. Therefore, he often feels short of breath, and the family has bought an oxygen supply machine, combined with an aerosol for him to regulate his daily breathing.
In 2024, he fell in his private room and had to be treated at Viet Duc Hospital (Hanoi), so he walked slower. Recently, Ms. Tuyen bought her father a stroller so that he could move more easily in the house.
At the age of 96, musician Pham Tuyen eats little, cannot sleep much, only dozing off for a few hours each day. Ms. Tuyen and her family also prepare her soft, nutritious meals to improve his health.
When he was weaker than before, my father spoke less. He only shared briefly, but I just needed to look him in the eye to understand immediately.
Although he walks slower, he is still very lucid, still silently follows music life and always feels the love of the public through his eyes and smiles," Ms. Hong Tuyen confided.
The musician is currently living in a 70m2 tập house on Van Bao street (Hanoi). The house on the 3rd floor used to be next to many famous artist families such as: Poet Nguyen Khoa Diem - former Minister of Culture and Information, musician Van Cao, writer Vu Tu Nam, musician Trong Bang, poet Te Hanh...
According to Ms. Tuyen, the male musician's family moved in here in 1993. He received the room thanks to the help of former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh.
Ms. Hong Tuyen added that she often calls her family's house "Music Room", because the living room has a very large piano, surrounded by books and newspapers, especially items related to his "treasure" of 700 songs.
On important occasions such as International Children's Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, musician Pham Tuyen's birthday... many guests and young singers came to visit him, together present in the living room of the house to play the piano, sing and chat about the famous works he composed.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, I hope to organize a small event at home because this year is the 70th anniversary of the song "The Star Lantern"'s birth," she confided.
Musician Pham Tuyen's youngest daughter added that her father is a very careful person, he has 2 handwritten manuscripts of nearly 700 songs.
He is also very elaborate when writing the song title and then decorating it like the song "The Star Lamp", he draws the lamp on the book page or the song "From a Street Intersection" then he draws a traffic light pole next to it...
He loves these 2 books very much, in addition to the music and manuscripts, there is also a lot of information such as where to perform for the first time, who arranged it, who sang it... This is his most precious asset," Ms. Tuyen confided.
