Published:  00:00 Friday - December 24, 2010

Female students Tran Nguyen Uyen Linh and Van Mai Huong will vie to be crowned Vietnam Idol in the finale of the series' third season on December 25 night.

Performances last week were the final chances for Uyen Linh and Mai Huong to impress judges and viewers with their talents, performing foreign and Vietnamese songs, including a new tune by composer Huy Tuan.

Huong, at only 16 years of age, was not seen to be in a position of strength going into the final, but she has consistently wowed audiences and judges with voice and professionalism.

She sang a fresh rendition of “Music Heart” last week and said the song represented her thoughts about music over her four-month journey with Vietnam Idol.

Huong bowled over audiences with her cover of “Hot and Cold” by Katy Perry when she surprised everyone by appearing in a black wig and glasses.

Linh, 22, is a recent graduate of the Vietnam Academy of Diplomacy. Last week, she sang “Why You Don't Return”, composed by the Vietnam Idol judge, Quoc Trung.

She entertained viewers with a wonderful improvisation on the melody and even changed a few words.

Linh's performance of “Take Me to the River” was so infectious it had the judges joining in singing and dancing along to her performance, which also demonstrated her ability to sing fluently in English.

For the final song, she performed “Grateful for Love” which Huong had performed before. Linh modulated her voice in the song and turned in an emotional performance that moved judge Siu Black.

"I don't want to compare you and Mai Huong, but your singing added much more emotion to the song," said veteran singer Siu Black.

Linh is herself a "veteran", having competed in the previous Vietnam Idol and Vietnam Television's song contest.