Biography
Praised by The Boston Globe for his “subtle, graceful virtuosity” and by Soundboard magazine for an “exquisite sense of space, touch, and mood,” guitarist An Tran approaches performance with purpose, guided by a belief in music as a shared human experience.
A Vietnamese guitarist based in the United States, Tran’s work reflects a long-standing desire to serve as a bridge between cultures and traditions. From his debut recording to his most recent projects, he has focused on bringing Vietnamese music into contemporary classical contexts while collaborating closely with living composers from around the world. These collaborations have often resulted in works written specifically for him, inspired by people and places central to his life and shaped with an understanding of his technical range and expressive voice.
Tran’s recording projects reflect this focus on cultural dialogue and collaboration. His debut album, Stay, My Beloved (Frameworks Records, 2020), presents Vietnamese repertoire through traditional melodies and works by contemporary composers. Soundboard magazine praised his “exquisite sense of space, touch, and mood,” calling the recording “deeply moving music at its best,” while Classical Guitar Magazine described it as “an unforgettable journey to a world you’ve probably never been to.” The album was named among the Chicago Tribune’s “Recordings of the Year.”
In 2023, Tran released Napoléon Coste: Guitar Works, Vol. 6 on Naxos. Writing in American Record Guide, critics noted his “immaculate ornaments and cultivated sense of phrasing,” highlighting the subtlety and confidence of his interpretations. The recording places his work within the core European repertoire, alongside his ongoing advocacy for new and underrepresented voices. A new album, scheduled for release in 2026, will feature newly commissioned works written for Tran by composers from around the world.
Tran has appeared in leading concert series and festivals worldwide, including the Guitar Society of Toronto, New York Classical Guitar Society, Córdoba Guitar Society, Segovia Classical Guitar Series, New Orleans International Guitar Festival, Latin-American International Guitar Festival, and Bangkok Guitar Society. His performances have been featured on Performance Today, Classical Guitar Alive!, the Tonebase Podcast, Vietnam Airlines’ Heritage Magazine, and Vietnam Television (VTV). Early in his career, he was a top-prize winner at more than a dozen international guitar competitions, including the Berlin International Guitar Competition and the Hamilton International Guitar Competition. He was also named one of Acoustic Guitar Magazine’s “10 Rising Stars of Classical Guitar”, recognizing the breadth of his work and global artistic perspective.
After beginning his musical training in Vietnam, Tran continued his studies in the United States, earning his Bachelor of Music from North Park University, where he later received the Distinguished Young Alumni Award. He completed his Master of Music at Yale University, studying with Benjamin Verdery, and received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Program Honors from Northwestern University under the guidance of Anne Waller.
Tran is a guitar professor at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts, and also teaches at the University of Illinois Chicago and Northern Illinois University. At NIU, he founded the International Guitar Concert Series. In 2024, he founded the An Tran’s International Guitar Workshop, an annual ten-day summer program in Vietnam that brings students of all ages together for intensive study and exchange. He also serves on the board of the Chicago Classical Guitar Society and is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Artopia, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making the arts accessible to underserved communities on Chicago’s Southwest Side.
An Tran performs on guitars by Stephan Connor and is a D’Addario Artist.