Văn Cao (November 15, 1923 – July 10, 1995) was a Vietnamese composer whose works include Tiến Quân Ca, which became the national anthem of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. He, along with Pham Duy and Trinh Cong Son, is widely considered one of the three most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music. He was also a noted poet and a painter. He was born Nguyễn Văn Cao in Haiphong and grew up in the northern province of Nam Dinh. In 1956