Brilliant young music student wins four scholarships to top US universities

Thanks to his meaningful contribution to underprivileged communities in Vietnam, not to mention a profound music ability, Tin has been offered scholarships at Lawrence University, DePauw University, Urbana-Champaign University, and Boston Conservatory of Music at Berklee.

Although good at four music instruments, Phuc Tin chose the Boston Conservatory at Berklee Bachelor of Music in Bassoon Performance programme for September 2024.

He is the first Vietnamese student to win a scholarship for the bassoon professional training programme of the Boston Conservatory of Music. Although Tin only started to play the bassoon a year ago, he quickly mastered the instrument, handling the main repertoire skilfully, and delivering performances with nuance and emotional depth.

With his steadfast commitment to helping the disadvantaged, the sky is the limit for the young musician.

Tran Phuc Tin fell in love with music from when he was a child, attending church every week with his family. He has gradually nurtured his love and passion, and long dreamed of being able to reconcile his love of music with meaningful contributions to the wider community.

Tran Phuc Tin (centre) was granted a Diploma by Dr Anton D. Luiten (left) and dean of Australian International School

Phuc Tin has just graduated from the Australia International School Saigon (AIS) with a Diploma of Excellence, achieving four scholarships at leading US universities. A multi-instrumentalist, he can play the saxophone, piano, drums and bassoon, of which the bassoon is his favoured discipline, and one of the most difficult to play in symphony orchestras. In Vietnam, the number of people who can play it is highly limited.

“My parents' generation worked hard to earn money to increase both our physical and spiritual nourishment, and to encourage us in our passion and to cultivate our talent. So I have responsibilities and duties to continue to improve my own abilities and contribute to the community," Tin said.

Phuc Tin (middle) has arranged many charity music projects to raise funds to support the disadvantaged

Phuc Tin focuses on his passion to support underprivileged communities. He has performed the bassoon at 17 charity concerts, raising money for more than 3,000 underprivileged children.

"I want to build up a just and fair society in Vietnam through charity concerts,” Tin said.

The boy recognised the potential of art and music to create positive changes in the community from a young age.

“In my project for my International Baccalaureate Diploma, I worked on raising awareness of global warming and rising temperatures in Vietnam through meaningful compositions,” he said.

“Thanks to this project, Tin demonstrates his ability to use music as a foundation for meaningful advocacy activities,” said the boy’s music teacher, Dr. Anton D. Luiten, Diploma Program Coordinator and Music Teacher at AIS.

At the graduation ceremony in May, Phuc Tin was honoured as Musician of the Year. The award and diploma of Excellence are a meaningful gift to start his student journey at university.

Phuc Tin and his teacher A Tach at Ho Chi Minh City Opera House after a concert performance

A Tach, a bassoon instructor and leader of the Symphony Orchestra at Ho Chi Minh City Symphony and Ballet Theatre, said that his student was smart and eager to learn.

“Although he just started playing the instrument a year ago, his musical ability and dedication have helped brought him many outstanding achievements. I hope he continues to gain successes in both music performance and social influence,” A Tach said.

Tin won the first prize in the "Saigon International Music 2023" contest, and was also a guest performer with many large and small orchestras in the city, such as Saigon Winds, and Mozart-Beethoven-Brahms Music Night.

"I have been supported strongly from my family, friends and teachers who help encourage and motivate me to develop in the right direction. At the same time, my passion and ambition help me overcome any challenges,” he said.

Furthermore, at university he plans to strengthen his passion for music with a commitment to give back to the community. He is also seeing partners who share his passion and ambition to build sustainable initiatives.

With his youth, knowledge, and passionate kind heart, the Vietnamese teenager promises to be a generational talent, highly focused on bringing value to local communities.

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