Phạm Duy

Phạm Duy (1921-2013) was a Vietnamese songwriter and composer. With over 1,000 published compositions during his career which had spanned for more than seven decades, Pham Duy has been dubbed as Vietnam's most prolific songwriter. He along with Trinh Cong Son and Van Cao are considered as the most influential songwriters in the history of Vietnamese modern music.

Born on October 5, 1921 in Hanoi, Pham Duy was the youngest out of five children. His father was the acclaimed progressive journalist, Pham Duy Ton, who had passed away while Pham Duy was just two years old. Pham Duy was raised primarily by his older brother, acclaimed Francophone writer, professor and once Vietnam's ambassador to France, Pham Duy Khiem. He graduated from Thang Long High School and furthered his studies at the College of the Arts in Hanoi and the Institut de Musicologie in Paris, France. It was when Pham Duy left North Vietnam to resettle in Saigon that he reached his peak in his career as a songwriter. Prior to 1975, Pham Duy had also been the host of a popular television musical variety program based in Saigon which showcased guest appearances of many top performers of South Vietnam.