"To say Võ is making a splash is an understatement. Her compositions' rippling blend of musical genres and music played on her native country's instruments and often sung with her luminous vocals, have mesmerized musicians and audiences alike." —San Francisco Classical Voice
A fearless musical explorer, Vân-Ánh Võ is an award-winning performer of the 16-string đàn tranh (zither) and an Emmy Award-winning composer who has collaborated with Kronos Quartet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to her mastery of the đàn tranh, she also uses the monochord (đàn bầu), bamboo xylophone (đàn t’rung), traditional drums (trống) and many other instruments to create music that blends the wonderfully unique sounds of Vietnamese instruments with other genres, and fuses deeply rooted Vietnamese musical traditions with fresh new structures and compositions.
Coming from a family of musicians and beginning to study đàn tranh (16-string zither) from the age of four, Van-Anh graduated with distinction from the Vietnamese Academy of Music, where she later taught. In 1995, Vân-Ánh won the championship title in the Vietnam National Đàn Tranh Competition, along with the first prize for best solo performance of modern folk music. In Hanoi, Vân-Ánh was an ensemble member of Vietnam National Music Theatre as well as a member of the traditional music group Đồng Nội Ensemble, which she founded and directed. She has since performed in more than fourteen countries and recorded many broadcast programs in and outside of Vietnam.
Since settling in San Francisco’s Bay Area in 2001, Vân-Ánh has collaborated with musicians across different music genres to create new works, bringing Vietnamese traditional music to a wider audience. She has presented her music at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center (2012, 2014, 2016), Lincoln Center, NPR, Houston Grand Opera, Yerba Buena Performing Arts Center, UK WOMAD Festival, and London Olympic Games 2012 Music Festival. Vân-Ánh has been a composer, collaborator and guest soloist with Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma, Southwest Chamber Music, Oakland Symphony, Monterey Symphony, Golden State Symphony, Apollo Chamber Players, Flyaway Productions for aerial dance works, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, jazz and rap artists, and other World Music artists. Additionally, she co-composed and arranged the Oscar® nominated and Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner for Best Documentary, Daughter from Danang (2002), the Emmy® Award winning film and soundtrack for Bolinao 52 (2008), and “Best Documentary” and “Audience Favorite” winner, A Village Called Versailles (2009).
After taking on an integral role in Kronos Quartet’s theatrical production “All Clear” in 2012, Vân-Ánh premiered her first multi-media production as Artistic Director, composer, and performer with “Odyssey” at the Kennedy Center in 2016. Since then, she will be premiering “Songs of Strength” at Cal Performances, UC Berkeley in March 2021, and the first part of Mekong trilogy production, “Mekong: SOUL” commissioned by Kennedy Center in 2021.
Her productions are unique in that they often include a community component leading up to her performances, including community workshops that are meant to further engage participants in the topic that has inspired Vân-Ánh in the creation of these productions. Under President Obama's administration, Vân-Ánh was the first Vietnamese artist to perform at the White House and received the Artist Laureate Award for her community contributions through the arts. Vân-Ánh has also received project awards and support from Creative Work Fund, Center for Cultural Innovations, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, City of San Jose, New Music USA, Mid Atlantic Foundation, Chamber Music America (for residency work), Zellerbach Family Foundation, California Art Council, San Francisco Commissions, and the Haas Fund.
LEADERSHIP AND EDUCATOR EXPERIENCE
2002-present
Founder and Artistic Director, Van-Anh Vo & The Blood Moon Orchestra
2012-present
dan Tranh / dan Bau Master & Artistic Director, Su Viet Zither Ensemble, Au Co Cultural Center, San Francisco
1997-2000
Founder and Director, Dong Noi Ensemble. Most well-known traditional music group in Vietnam of 20 members that toured worldwide such as France, Austria, America, Eastern Europe, Indonesia, Japan, and China.
1995-2000
Dan Tranh Professor for Ha Noi National Academy of Music, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
2014
Artist Laureate Awards from Silicon Valley Creates. On Stage Category.
2013
Top 10 Best World Music Compilation from NPR
2009
Emmy Award for co-composed documentary “Bolinao 52”
2002
Co-composed & Recorded soundtrack for Sundance best documentary & 2003 Academy Awards nominee "Daughter from Danang"
1995
Vietnam National Championship Tittle and First Prize for Best Presentation on Contemporary Music
GRANT AWARDS
2019
California Arts Council / MAP Fund / National Endowment for the Arts /Creative Work Fund / City of San Jose
2018
California Arts Council / Chamber Music America / San Francisco Arts Commission / takepART - City of San Jose / Mid Atlantic Foundation / Alliances for California Traditional Arts / Zellerbach Family Foundation
2017
San Francisco Chamber of Music / takepART - City of San Jose / The Walter & Elis Haas Fund / California Art Council / Center for Cultural Innovations / New Music USA
2016
USArtist International grant, Mid Atlantic Foundation / The Walter and Elise Haas Fund / California Art Council
2014
Creative Work Fund / USArtist International grant, Mid Atlantic Foundation
2011
Master-Apprenticeship Program from ACTA, also awarded for 2015 and 2017
DISCOGRAPHY
2013
Three-Mountain Pass
2010
She’s Not She
2002
Twelve Months, Four Seasons
EDUCATION
2002-2006
Shanghai National Conservatory of Music, Shanghai, China
2001-2004
Mission College, Santa Clara, CA
1992-1995
Bachelor of Arts at Ha Noi National Academy of Music, Ha Noi, Vietnam, specializing in 16-string zither ("dan tranh"), 36-string instrument ("dan tam thap luc"), monochord ("dan bau"), and T'rung bamboo xylophone.
WHAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT VAN-ANH VO
Vo's "Three Mountain Pass," which includes her music and traditional Vietnamese pieces played on a number of Vietnamese instruments interestingly begs the question of what is American music, especially since a knockout on the disc is her transcription of French composer Erik Satie's "Gnossienne No. 3." - Mark Swed; Los Angeles Times
It’s gorgeous and sentimental. I loved the way she stretched that note [on dan Bau]. It almost sounded like slide guitar. It felt very bluesy too. - Betto Arcos; NPR All Things Considered Weekend Edition
The dramatic interest, unusual instruments and playing techniques coupled with stellar musicianship, keen visual interest and a stage presence to die for all contributed to its status as a masterpiece. - Johnathon Bakan; SF Asian Music Examiner
Her appearance was dramatic in stunning costume and headdress, her music was riveting, her stage presence theatrical, and her contribution to Vietnamese musical culture outstanding. - Heather Morris; Peninsula Review
The music is rhythmically compelling - it weaves a story through the notes; a walk in mysterious woods or whatever the imagination can conjure up. The music is quite hypnotic in nature, the notes of the stringed instruments in particular so malleable they can express a range of emotions in a single wavering note. - Anya Wassenberg; Art & Culture Maven
Indeed, Vo’s energy and enthusiasm for musical creativity seems to transcend any particular instrument and instead feed off a fundamental sonic curiosity, as well as a desire to reflect on her cultural heritage and share those sounds with new ears. Vo draws strong connection between American jazz and the improvisation involved in traditional Vietnamesemusic. - Molly Sheredan; New Music Box
Vân-Ánh Võ is a mesmerizingly awesome, Emmy award-winning zither player (among other instruments), and someone who is not only fascinating to hear, but fun to watch. My entire exposure to zithers up to this point was the soundtrack to The Third Man, so I associated zithers with laid-back cool. Vân-Ánh takes it to a whole other level. She moves about that zither with the crazy self-confidence of someone who’s completely mastered an instrument, it’s pretty inspiring stuff … Vân-Ánh, on the other hand is energetic, striking poses behind them [Kronos Quartet], focused, iconic looking and always giving it her all. – London City Night Review, 2012 London Olympics