Arts & Culture

One of the most popular compositions for the violin, the 8-minute-long “Zigeunerweisen” (Gypsy Airs), Op. 20, depicts the struggles of gypsies in the face of life’s trials while they, through music and dance, maintain their spirit. The piece by Spanish composer Pablo de Sarasate has been recorded by many violin virtuosos of our time and […]

Touching, powerful, and above all, honest, “No Wake” shows the potential for something new on the horizon if one can come to terms with the past and is ready to begin again.

NEW YORK—The act of starring at the Metropolitan Opera on the opening night of the season is one of the music world’s unofficial honors. The singer doesn’t get a statuette, but in Sondra Radvanovsky’s case, her expressive face is found on posters all around town and on the cover of the playbill for the entire […]

TAOYUAN, Taiwan—With posters, program booklets, and DVDs, about a dozen Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra fans gathered around Milen Nachev, the orchestra’s conductor, to get his autograph. They were among about 70 people who bid farewell to the orchestra at Taoyuan International Airport on Oct. 4. “I saw the performance at Zhongli Arts Hall on Sept. […]

The Metropolitan Opera Guild has received encouraging feedback about its opera podcasts.

"How to Write Classical Poetry: A Guide to Forms, Techniques, and Meaning" is a guide I wish I had years ago.

Delos Records has just released the debut solo recording of American bel canto tenor John Osborn. Listening to this spectacular recital makes one wonder why it took so long.

NEW YORK—If you were asked to imagine a sculpture, you would likely conjure an image of a robust man sitting on a rock, hunched over with his right elbow digging into his left knee, his chin resting on his right hand, his eyes downcast—that iconic work by Auguste Rodin (1840–1917), “The Thinker.” This year marks the […]

Amy Herzog's “Mary Jane” is remarkable. In depicting the painful story of one woman's journey of caring for a sick child, she speaks to the many who carry the same burden.

NEW YORK—The age-old battle of art versus commerce takes center stage in Frederick Stroppel’s two-character work, “Small World: A Fantasia,’ presented by Penguin Rep Theatre at 59E59 Theaters. Although the play offers no clear winner, it does bring up some interesting points. In 1939 California, studio head Walt Disney (Mark Shanahan), basking in the success […]

The show that actress Cate Blanchett called “exquisitely beautiful” will return to Canada in 2018 with an all-new production. Shen Yun Performing Arts’s tour will start in Ottawa in late December and go on to play in several venues in Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Like every year, the group will play in numerous cities […]

PINGTUNG, Taiwan—Liu Huai-wei, a happy father called his newborn a “Shen Yun baby” because his wife gave birth to their baby three months after they saw Shen Yun Performing Arts together in March this year. And now, attributing his baby’s healthy growth and charming personality to the magic the performance, he was back with his […]

UNESCO lists seven cultural practices still playing a part in today’s Italy, including falconry and the Mediterranean Diet, both of which have been discussed in previous articles. The ones quintessentially Italian featured below form part of the country’s living history. They are important not only historically, but form a legacy well worth preserving for future […]

Pianist Polly Ferman gave an enjoyable and informative concert of "Habaneras, Milongas, Tangos" at the National Opera Center.

NEW YORK—Family relationships can be a tricky dance of unconditional love, painful understandings, and harsh realities. Simon Stephens’s quietly involving “On the Shore of the Wide World,” now at the Atlantic Theater Company, makes this case. Originally presented in Manchester, England, in 2005, the work may not cover any new ground or make any sweeping […]

NEW YORK—Heaven may be just a concept for some or a remote reality for others, but that insurmountable separation between heaven and earth may be bridged, on occasion, through the arts. Inspired by myths, legends, and China’s 5,000 years of civilization, Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra presents a vivid storytelling experience, exuding a cinematic quality that transports […]

HALIFAX—A fresh generation of children’s books is finding the grace notes in Halifax’s worst moment—a massive explosion that levelled much of the city 100 years ago but inspired acts of kindness that still resonate. The books vary on how closely they approach the widespread injury and nearly 2,000 deaths that resulted from the Halifax Explosion […]

To help children regain some sort of normalcy after a disaster, here are some comforting books that can help adults in this task.

TAIPEI, Taiwan—A crowd of more than 100 fans—with flowers, banners, and decorated placards—gathered at Taipei Songshan Airport to welcome Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 19. Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra, a New York-based orchestra, had just completed its two-city tour in South Korea before arriving in Taipei to kick off the second leg of its […]

As soprano Elisa Brown listened to the ancient two-stringed erhu during a performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts several years ago, she was so moved that her entire body was trembling, “but in a very loving way,” she said. “It was so beautiful, it was healing.” There’s an old Chinese belief that music has the power to […]