The award was presented during the international conference themed “Cultural Industry – A Strategic Driver for Sustainable Development” and the celebration of the 81st anniversary of the establishment of the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan. The honour was jointly conferred by the National Federation of UNESCO Associations in Japan and the Federation of UNESCO Associations in Viet Nam.
Born and raised in Bac Ninh, the cradle of the sweet melodies of quan ho (love duet) folk songs, Thu Hoai chose the performing arts as her lifelong career.
For her, a director is a storyteller who uses light, music, and emotion. Avoiding superficial glitter, every production she directs carries a cultural message imbued with love for her homeland and the aspiration to spread Vietnamese values.
Over two decades, Thu Hoai has directed a series of major events that left a deep impression on audiences nationwide, including Miss Viet Nam Sea 2016, the Miss Kinh Bac series (2012, 2014, 2016, 2019), and Miss Muong Land.
Beyond cultural and tourism events, she has also been entrusted with directing numerous nationally significant and internationally oriented programmes.
In 2023, she directed the Cong Hien (Dedication) Awards launched by The Thao & Van Hoa (Sports and Culture) Newspaper of Viet Nam News Agency — a production acclaimed for its well-crafted script, emotional depth, and success in bringing Vietnamese performing arts closer to the wider public.
She later made her mark again with the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Vietnam–Japan Diplomatic Relations (broadcast live on Viet Nam Television Channel VTV2), where she skilfully blended Vietnamese traditional art forms with international cultural exchange, creating a powerful and resonant performance.
In the same year, both the Bao Son Awards 2024 and the Closing Ceremony of the 2024 National Tourism Year, for which she served as chief director, were lauded for their seamless fusion of modern stagecraft and profound humanity.
“I always want each production to be a work of art, not just an event. Audiences may not remember every detail, but they must feel something — an emotion, a message, and a sense of pride in our nation’s cultural heritage,” she shared.
A defining feature of Thu Hoai’s directorial style is her ability to “tell stories through emotion.” Every element, from lighting, music, and narration to stage transitions, is carefully orchestrated to create emotional resonance with the audience.
Cultural authenticity is always at the heart of her productions. Whether the event is cultural, touristic, political, or diplomatic, she weaves in Vietnamese elements: folk melodies, the Ao Dai (Vietnamese traditional long dress), the beat of festival drums, the sound of the dan tranh (Vietnamese 16-string zither), and images of Vietnamese people at work and in creativity.
She has directed performances involving thousands of participants and pioneering technologies such as outdoor hologram projection, 3D mapping, shadow dance, drone light shows, and immersive stage designs blending the real and the virtual. Few female directors have ventured into such ambitious projects, given the high risks of outdoor staging dependent on weather and other external factors.
Thu Hoai is also among the few directors daring to merge traditional art with cutting-edge technology and global music trends. Notable examples include “A Symphony in the Land of Quan Ho” — a fusion of folk heritage and modern orchestration — and performances combining Central Highlands gong music with EDM and world music at the International Conference on Creative Music Cities in Da Lat, Lam Dong Province.
