Local girl wins ‘congeniality award’ in Russia

In early April, some 300 singers from Russia and neighbouring countries like Moldova and Armenia descended upon Ekaterinburg, Russia for a prestigious international vocal competition.

In early April, some 300 singers from Russia and neighbouring countries like Moldova and Armenia descended upon Ekaterinburg, Russia for a prestigious international vocal competition.

A few weeks prior to the competition, Bao Yen, a gifted vocalist from Vietnam, heard about the competition and decided to try her luck at competing because she had never before entered a vocal competition in the Russian language.

She sang a famous song ‘Memories Liza’ and while her performance wasn’t earth shattering, she did catch the judge’s eye and was selected to receive the congeniality award for the competition.

She was presented the award by Professor Chaikovski Vladislav Ivanovich Pianko from the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Bao Yen was born in 1990, and is a former student of the Vietnam National Academy of Music. She went to Russia to study for a vocal degree at the Ural Academy of Music, in Ekaterinburg.