An Tran (guitarist)

An Tran (Vietnamese: Trần Tuấn An) is a Vietnamese classical guitarist and educator. Based in Chicago, he is noted for incorporating Vietnamese traditional music into classical guitar performance alongside standard repertoire. Tran is co-founder and artistic director of Chicago Artopia, founder of the NIU International Guitar Series, and Professor of Guitar at Roosevelt University and the University of Illinois Chicago.^[1] His recordings for Naxos and independent labels have been reviewed by international publications including the Chicago Tribune,^[2] Classical Guitar Magazine,^[3] and MusicWeb International.^[4]

Tran was born and raised in Hanoi. His parents were music enthusiasts, and his father placed a radio near his mother during pregnancy, which Tran later credited with his early connection to music.^[5] He tried different instruments as a child but found the guitar particularly motivating. Inspired by his cousin’s guitar playing and by listening to rock and roll, he decided to pursue the instrument.^[6]

At 15, he moved to the United States as an international student. During this period he temporarily quit the guitar, until encouragement from guitarist Anne Waller in Chicago renewed his focus.^[7] He earned his BA in Music from North Park University studying with Julie Goldberg and Tom Zelle. He was named a Lincoln Academy Student Laureate.^[8]

Tran earned a Master of Music degree from Yale University, studying under Benjamin Verdery. In 2016, he won First Prize at the Hamilton International Guitar Competition in Ontario, Canada.^[9] He completed his DMA at Northwestern University in 2023 under Anne Waller.^[10]

Tran released his debut album, Stay, My Beloved (2020), featuring classical guitar arrangements of Vietnamese folk songs.^[11] His second album, Napoléon Coste: Guitar Works, Vol. 6, was released by Naxos in 2023.^[12]

He has performed widely across the U.S. and abroad, including appearances at Northwestern University’s Segovia Classical Guitar Series,^[13] the New Orleans International Guitar Festival at Tulane University,^[14] the New York Classical Guitar Society (Salon Series, Tenri Cultural Institute, 2023),^[15] The Little Theatre in Rochester,^[16] Stroede Center for the Arts,^[17] and Austin Classical Guitar.^[18]

As an educator, Tran teaches at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, the University of Illinois Chicago.^[19] and Northern Illinois University’s School of Music where he directs the NIU International Guitar Series.^[20] He co-founded Chicago Artopia, a nonprofit presenting free concerts on Chicago’s Southwest Side, and founded An Tran's International Guitar Workshop in Hanoi.^[21] He is a D’Addario Artist.^[22]

Tran’s Boston debut was described by The Boston Globe as demonstrating “quiet virtuosity”,^[23] and his debut album was listed among the “most alluring classical recordings of 2020” by the Chicago Tribune.^[24] Classical Guitar Magazine praised its blending of Vietnamese melodies with classical technique,^[25] while Tonebase called it “a beautiful testament to Tran’s artistry.”^[26]

Six String Journal described the recording as “gorgeous” with particular commendation for phrasing and tone.^[27] Performance Today featured him on a national broadcast.^[28] In Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines Heritage profiled his cultural role,^[29] and Nhân Dân emphasized his work in presenting Vietnamese guitar internationally.^[30]

His Naxos release (2023) was praised by MusicWeb International for clarity and musicianship,^[31] and highlighted by Thanh Niên as a significant milestone for Vietnamese guitarists.^[32]

Tran has said, “The guitar is universal … I believe it can function as a bridge between Vietnamese music and Western classical music, and I view myself as a bridge.”^[33] About his debut album, he reflected, “My debut album is music that is close to me. It is composed of traditional Vietnamese songs my parents would sing to me.”^[34]

• Stay, My Beloved (2020)^[35]
• Napoléon Coste: Guitar Works, Vol. 6 (Naxos, 2023)^[36]

• First Prize, Hamilton International Guitar Competition (2016)^[37]
• First Prize, New Orleans International Guitar Competition (2018)^[38]
• First Prize, University of Rhode Island Rising Stars Competition (2018)^[39]
• Lincoln Academy Student Laureate, Illinois (2012)^[40]

• Official website
• Naxos artist page
• D’Addario artist page