Banquet Entertainment:

NAVASA is proud to have internationally acclaimed Dan Bau player, Pham Duc Thanh and band to perform at NAVASA 2005 Recognition Banquet.

Pham Duc Thanh was born in Ninh Binh, North Vietnam in 1956. Displaying a remarkable musical aptitude as a child, Duc Thanh was already playing the Dan Bau (the monochord) as well as the Dan Tranh (16-string zither) and the Dan Nhi (two-string fiddle) at the age of six. In 1974, Duc Thanh moved to Hanoi where he studied at a popular traditional theatre school and joined the leading Hat Cheo theatre group as a Dan Bau player. After attending Saigon's Research Centre for Music, he went on to become one of the country's top Dan Bau players of traditional and contemporary music.
In August 1990, Duc Thanh and his wife, singer Lieu Nguyet Lan, left Vietnam and went to live in Germany for several years before emigrating to Canada in 1996.
Today, the Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist is recognised as of the world's leading exponents of traditional Vietnamese music.

Showcase of Vietnamese Traditional Ao Dai Through Time
Clothing & Accessories Provided by Galerie Brigitte

Galerie Brigitte presents an exclusive collection of museum quality, handcrafted articles, artifacts, antique reproductions, and works by the artists and artisans of Vietnam . In addition the gallery also showcase products from China , Thailand, and a few other Southeast Asian countries.

Galerie Brigitte 's mission is to provide the information and resources that would be useful to our exclusive clients, whether they are just curious, want to learn about another aspect of the exotic Vietnam other than the relics of the Vietnam war. They will experience a different vision of a Vietnamese culture and people that embrace a 4000-year history of spectacular fine arts and handicrafts.

WHO'S WHO at GALERIE BRIGITTE

Brigitte Le : Brigitte Le is the heart and soul of Galerie Brigitte . Brigitte graduated from University of Maryland (College Park Campus) with a double major in Chemical Engineering and Fine Arts. In a traditional Vietnamese family, Art is not a vocation that parents would want their children to pursue. Naturally, Brigitte had to fulfill her parents' wish by pursuing a more prestigious degree, so she chose what she was best at academically. Yet, her passion has always been with art.

After 15 years with a Sales force at IBM, Brigitte was ready to combine her business sense with her love for Art and to live her dream. A business partnership was formed and Galerie Brigitte found a home at The Galleria-Tysons II. Brigitte's outgoing, energetic, and cheerful disposition is contagious, and our patrons always find visiting Galerie Brigitte a pleasant experience.

She uses her creativity and artistic ability to blend traditional and contemporary styles to develop new products and to introduce to the world a different view on Vietnam-an exotic and mysterious place where arts and myths portray an Asian culture that has its own identity. In addition, with extensive training in Interior Design and Ikebana Flower Arrangements, Brigitte has provided years of experience in Interior Decoration consultation to a selective group of clients. Her most unusual, signature flower arrangements are also displayed throughout the gallery.

Lan Le : Lan Le is the driving force behind Galerie Brigitte . Lan also graduated from University of Maryland (College Park Campus) majoring in Business and Apparel Design. Following her passion in art and design, she worked for a couple of fashion houses and manufacturers in LA and Washington DC area. Subsequently, she established a home-based business, Exclusive Creations, Inc. , to cater to all wedding affairs. After leaving the design work to be with her family, Lan returned to the business world in 1986 and is currently employed full time at Freddie Mac as a Project Manager in Integration Services.

In May 2002, she partnered with Brigitte Le and opened an art gallery/boutique, Galerie Brigitte ("GB"), in Tysons-Galleria, McLean , VA. To best represent Vietnamese arts and culture in a mainstream environment, Galerie Brigitte showcases Vietnamese contemporary fine arts, unique collectibles and artifacts, antique reproductions, one-of-a-kind handicrafts and exclusive "Art to Wear" collections.