VANCOUVER, Canada—Holly Burke is an accomplished musician, known for her magic on the flute and a voice to go with it.
On Saturday afternoon she found the Shen Yun Performing Arts Orchestra a perfect accompaniment to the classically Chinese dancers on stage at Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
“I like it a lot, very well-played,” she said.
“Honestly, we went down to the pit before the show to see if we could see the musicians before the show; they weren’t there. They seemed to appear miraculously in the last two minutes and there they were. They played so beautifully, professionally, I thought it was impeccably played, lovely flute work, love the gong. I wish I had a gong in my band.”
Shen Yun’s orchestra is a unique blend of classical Chinese instruments leading the melodies with a philharmonic orchestra laying the foundation. As one example, the orchestra includes two types of flutes, China’s bamboo flute, and the classical western flute.
Ms. Burke is the anchor of her current band, “The Magic Flute,” and has worked with a long list of performers. She’s also made her mark on the screen with small parts in several television shows as well as some voice work.
She won an International Broadcasting Award from the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, and her credits include CBC TV, National PUblic Radio, CITR, and CBC Radio, the San Diego International Jazz Festival, the Vancouver Du Maurier Jazz Festival, and many more.
Ms. Burke said she enjoyed other aspects of the performance as well.
“I think it’s very interesting. The costumes are great, and I think it’s a good purpose to try and educate the world about Chinese culture. I like the use of legends,” she said.
Shen Yun tours the world on a mission to revive China’s 5,000-year-old divinely inspired traditional culture. Each year Shen Yun’s three equally sized companies grace the stage in the finest venues around the globe.
The New York-based company performs mainly classical Chinese dance, with some dances based on legendary Chinese historical figures and beloved characters from favourite classic novels.
Reporting by Chen Si and Matthew Little
Shen Yun’s New York Company will perform two more shows in Vancouver before leaving Canada. The production will return in April to perform in Calgary, Edmonton, and Regina.
For more information visit www.ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
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