Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ comes from a family of musicians, and began studying traditional Vietnamese music and the dàn Tranh (16-string zither) at the age of four. She graduated with distinction from, and subsequently taught at, the Vietnam National Academy of Music in Hanoi. In 1995, Võ won the Vietnam National Ðàn Tranh Competition, along with the first prize for best solo performance of modern folk music. In Hanoi, Võ was an ensemble member of the Vietnam National Music Theatre as well as a member of the traditional music group Ð?ng N?i Ensemble, which she founded and directed. She has performed throughout Vietnam and many other countries.

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2001, Võ’s career has focused on collaborating with musicians across different musical genres to create new works, bringing Vietnamese traditional music to a wider audience, and preserving her cultural legacy through teaching. Among her compositions are the 2009 Emmy® Award-winning soundtrack for the documentary “Bolinao 52”, which she co-composed and recorded, and the soundtrack for 2003 Academy Awards® nominee “Daughter from Danang”, as well as the winner of the New Orleans Film Festival Audience Award “A Village Called Versailles”. Võ has released two CDs: “Twelve Months, Four Season” in 2002 and “She’s Not She” in 2010. Võ also has presented her music at Carnegie Hall, 2012 London Olympic Music Festival, and Lincoln Center.

“Three-Mountain Pass” contains Võ’s original works from 2011 to 2012. Võ is honored to have Kronos Quartet as guest artist on Track 4, Green River Delta.