Van P Nguyen

Van Nguyen (1946-2007) was born in North Viet Nam. When the 1954 Geneva Agreement divided his country into two parts, he followed his parents to settle in Saigon, the capital of South Viet Nam. After high school, he received a place in the Conservatorium of Music of Saigon, South Viet Nam, graduating in 1970.

Due to the situation of his country - it was at war - Nguyen enlisted in the army and served as a Band Master, the 20th Pol-war Battalion. After the collapse of South Viet Nam in 1975, as an officer of the former regime he was put in re-education-forced- labour camps for five years. He was released in 1980.

Managing to flee from his country, Nguyen arrived in Thailand as a refugee in April 1990. He was held in a Thai refugee camp for three years whilst waiting for screening to certify his political status.

Fortunately, after three years of hardship in refugee camps he was accepted by the Australian delegation under the Humanitarian Scheme and came to Australia in August 1993.

In 1998, deciding to continue his career and ambition, he applied and obtained a place in the Composition Unit of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney.

In 2002 he earned his Bachelor of Music Composition and was also granted The Doris Burnett Ford Scholarship award.

His lecturers have included David Sudmalis, Jessica Wells, Dr. Martin Wesley-Smith, Dr. Greg Scheimer, Dr. Bozidar Kos, Michael Smetanin and Dr. Trevor Pearce.

Van P Nguyen was studying for his Doctor of Creative Arts at the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong under supervisions of Dr. Nigel Butterley and Dr. Houston Dunleavy when sadly, he passed away on 18 February 2007.

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