Bard College Pianist Tragically Dies Hours After Graduating

25-year-old pianist Linh Hong Nguyen was hit by a car in Red Hook, New York

Linh Hong Nguyen was tragically killed after a car drove onto the sidewalk and collided with her. The accident took place at 10:20 PM and Nguyen died at the scene.

The incident occurred mere hours after the Bard College Conservatory's Saturday commencement ceremony, in which Nguyen received her master of music in instrumental studies.

Nguyen grew up in Vietnam and moved to upstate New York to attend Bard for her master's degree — having received her undergraduate degree at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. She was planning to begin working on her doctorate at Stony Brook University next fall.

Police confirmed that the driver of the car was unharmed, and that speeding seems to have been the cause of the crash.

Nguyen’s quiet nature "belied the power and virtuosity of her piano playing," wrote Frank Corliss, the director of the Bard College Conservatory.

"She was a young musician of deep personal ambition — in the best sense of the word. She held herself to the highest of musical standards in even the most challenging of repertoire. She was deeply curious about the greater musical world and about her future place in that world. Her thoughtfulness, kindness and eagerness to learn, endeared her to the faculty, fellow students and administrators who worked with her."

Our sincere condolences to Nguyen's family, friends, and colleagues.