The-An Nguyen: Lullaby (Ru Con) - An Tran, Guitar

Lullaby (Ru Con), composed by The-An Nguyen https://www.theannguyen.com/
This piece was written for An Tran

About this composition:
At a young age, the author of Ru Con (Lullaby) traveled abroad to study, and later lived far
away from his native Vietnam. Remembering his homeland and his roots, Thế-An yearned for
his mother and her lullabies. “Perhaps because I was young, I only knew the words to this lullaby
to be just soft, and gentle, which helped me fall asleep. But later, as I got older and became more
mature and experienced, living far away from my mother's arms, I could understand more about
these feelings, and of the feelings that my mother had sent through those lullabies.” He
imaginatively conveys what his mother went through when the melody starts to slow down and
becomes dissonant. As the child gradually starts to fall asleep, the mother's lullaby is the only
sound surrounding them as they are together. It is very light and very soft. Through the lullaby,
she quietly confides her true feelings, her thoughts, and worries. It is at this moment that she
hopes for a better future for her child. This piece is a beautiful memory of sacred maternal love,
the intangible and extremely strong, emotional bond. Nothing can replace it. Every moment the
melody goes up is a time we can remember our beloved mothers with the most assured moments
of our hearts.

World-premiered at the Guitar Society of Toronto’s 2019 International Concert Series.

Performed and produced by An Tran: https://www.antran.org/
Videography: Tuan Tran
Guitar: 2025 Stephan Connor Double-Top
Strings: D'Addario XTC45FF XT Classical Dynacore Carbon
Tuner: D'Addario PW-CT-12RC Micro Rechargeable Tuner

Recorded with: Schoeps and Sonodore microphones, Prism Atlas preamp and audio interface, Logic Pro

This video is partly supported by Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ‪@ChicagoDCASE‬