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On the morning of June 27, 2026, Nguyen Tat Thanh University solemnly organized the Graduation Ceremony for its new graduates. Alongside moments of honoring, expressing gratitude to teachers, and sending thanks to parents, the ceremony also left many emotions with a piano performance by Tran Thao Uyen – the valedictorian of the Piano major, Faculty of Performing Arts
Amidst the solemn atmosphere of the graduation ceremony, the piano melody resonated as a congratulatory message sent to the new graduates before each embarked on a new journey. Each succeeding melody not only closed Thao Uyen’s own student life but also touched the emotions of hundreds of people present. That moment became a special highlight of the ceremony, as music replaced words to spread gratitude, pride, and hope for the future ahead.
In her graduation gown, Tran Thao Uyen focuses on performing the piano piece – a musical gift to the new graduates, parents, and teachers on graduation day
From practicing after work hours to the graduation ceremony stage
Before becoming a Piano student, Tran Thao Uyen graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Da Lat University and moved to HCMC to work.
Her first job was as an assistant director at a music school teaching piano in District 2. During her working days here, the sound of the piano from the classrooms gradually became a familiar part of Uyen’s life rhythm.
Initially, she only observed, listened, and then explored on her own. After work hours, Uyen began to sit by the piano to practice her first notes.
The piece that truly made her want to conquer was Moonlight Sonata. Previously, Uyen had tried playing this piece on the guitar but faced many difficulties. When approaching the piano, she felt the music became closer, clearer, and richer in emotion.
The early days of learning the piano were not easy at all. Her music reading ability was still slow, and her technique was not yet solid. Uyen had to practice each small segment, repeating it over and over to adjust the rhythm, sitting posture, hand placement, and interpretation of the piece.
Tran Thao Uyen shares her journey of learning, pursuing music, and the decision to return to university at the age of 30
“Many days after work, I would still stay behind at the piano to practice. Striving a little bit every day, about a month later I could play the whole song, even though it was still bumpy,” Uyen recalled.
Piano gradually ceased to be a side hobby. Music became something she wanted to seriously invest in and pursue for the long term.
At the age of 30, when she already had a relatively stable job, Uyen decided to return to university. “I thought if I didn’t try, I might regret it a lot later on,” she shared.
Four years after that decision, Uyen returned to the graduation ceremony stage with her very own piano performance.
The inspirer behind choosing to study professional Piano at NTTU
In Tran Thao Uyen’s journey with the piano, Ms. Tran Thien Cat Vu (M.A.) – a specialized Piano lecturer at the Faculty of Performing Arts, Nguyen Tat Thanh University – played a special role.
Ms. Cat Vu was the first person to teach Uyen piano, guiding her to build a foundation from sitting posture, hand placement, and weight control to practice methods. Not only accompanying her in terms of expertise, she also guided Uyen to take international certificate exams, orienting her to start teaching piano part-time and become more serious with her career path.
“Ms. Cat Vu is a very important person in my journey. She was the first person to teach me piano, guided me to take international certificate exams, oriented me to do part-time teaching, and was also the one who advised me to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Piano,” Uyen shared.
From the first students she guided, Uyen gradually realized that a love for music is necessary, but not enough to go a long way in this profession. A person who teaches or performs piano needs solid technique, pedagogical thinking, communication skills, and a well-founded professional background.
From her teacher’s orientation, Uyen chose to major in Piano at the Faculty of Performing Arts, Nguyen Tat Thanh University.
Tran Thao Uyen receives a certificate of merit recognizing her achievement as the valedictorian of the Piano major with a GPA of 3.75
At NTTU, Uyen gained access to a systematic training program, ranging from classical piano foundations to applied subjects such as light music, jazz, harmony, composition, accompaniment, and piece interpretation in various styles. The learning process helped her not only refine her performance skills but also step-by-step build professional mindset, teaching capacity, and stage confidence.
Uyen expressed that what she treasures most is having her technique corrected by lecturers down to the smallest details, being trained in an environment with clear professional standards, and having the conditions to maintain regular practice.
“Uyen didn’t start with the advantage of someone who has learned piano since childhood, but her seriousness is very distinct. Once determined to pursue music, Uyen was always persistent with every exercise, every technical error, and ready to redo it when it didn’t meet the requirements. What is valuable is that she did not study Piano just to get another degree, but truly wanted to build the competence to stick with the profession for the long term.” Ms. Cat Vu shared.
The valedictorian’s performance and the milestone closing four years of professional refinement
During her four years of study at NTTU, Tran Thao Uyen worked while studying, balancing time, costs, and practice intensity to pursue the choice she had set out.
There were periods when she reduced external work to focus on practicing the piano and preparing for exams. With the piano, hard work is necessary but not enough. Learners need to be guided with the correct methods right from the start, because an incorrect technique, if repeated long-term, can become a hard-to-fix habit.
“I realized that in music, hard work alone is not enough. If you spend a lot of time practicing but practice with the wrong technique, you might still be able to play the piece, but in the long run, you are prone to injuries or forming habits that are hard to correct,” Uyen said.
The milestone she remembers most is the graduation exam with a performance program consisting of 5 pieces, lasting from 30 to 45 minutes. This is a challenge that requires students to master technique, memory, emotion, physical stamina, and stage pressure.
Uyen once mentioned that in her early days at university, performing just one piece lasting a few minutes would make her nervous. Through each semester, each exam, and each time stepping onto the stage, she gradually learned how to stay calm, control her emotions, and complete her performance.
Tran Thao Uyen receives congratulatory flowers from faculty representatives and parents on graduation day
At Nguyen Tat Thanh University, every learner is respected in their differences, encouraged to dare to step out of their comfort zone to explore their capabilities, pursue their passion, and create their own growth journey
Concluding the training program, Tran Thao Uyen achieved a GPA of 3.75/4.0 and became the valedictorian of the Piano major.
Therefore, the piano performance at the graduation ceremony was not merely an artistic act. It was the moment Uyen returned to the stage as a new bachelor, a valedictorian, and a person who chose to pursue music with absolute seriousness.
From the very first notes after work hours to the piano melody echoing at the graduation ceremony, Tran Thao Uyen’s journey shows that passion can begin at any moment. The important thing is that the learner is courageous enough to choose, disciplined enough to pursue, and has a suitable training environment to transform a love for art into professional competence.
By: Cam Thach – Minh Luan
Photos: Media
