COSTA MESA, Calif.—For orchestra conductor Dr. Nové Deypalan, listening to the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra was an “ethereal experience.”
“The spirit of the music is just up in the air,” Mr. Deypalan said during the intermission of the performance, held at the Segerstrom Concert Hall on Friday evening. “Don’t know what it is, but it’s just incredible.”
“It’s an awesome, awesome feeling,” he added.
Mr. Deypalan has a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Southern California and has twice won the top prize in the International Conducting Workshop and Competition in Macon, GA, once each in 2012 and 2013. He is currently the founding director and conductor of the Walnut Valley Symphony Orchestra in California.
Drawing on his experience as as conductor, Mr. Deypalan praised the discipline and skills of the musicians in the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestr.
“I think for this kind of music, discipline definitely has to be there, and the skills must be present as well to make it brilliant,” he said. “They’re doing an incredible, incredible job.”
Based in New York, the world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts is best known for its classical Chinese dance performances. Up until last year, the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra could only be heard as an accompaniment to the dance performances. This changed last year when the orchestra held a concert at the Carnegie Hall in New York.
This year, the orchestra is on a seven-city tour across the United States.
Mr. Deypalan said the orchestra should travel around the world, “because they’re doing a very terrific job.”
“I think it’s about time that this kind of music will be in the mainstream, because it’s a beautiful music,” he added.
Mr. Deypalan, who is of Asian heritage, also praised the “East meets West” aspect of the orchestra.
The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is the world’s only orchestra that employs both classical Western and Chinese instruments as its permanent members, according to its website.
“Shen Yun’s all-original works combine Chinese and Western instruments and draw upon the rich culture of China’s 5,000 years,” the website says. “A remarkable achievement, the orchestra melds the spirit and distinctiveness of Chinese music with the precision and power of the Western symphony orchestra.”
Mr. Deypalan said more people should come to experience the performance.
“I think the audience needs to know that they should invite all their friends to this concert, because it’s an incredible performance for all of the people and ethnicities and races to come together united as one in music.”
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra will be in Southern California for one more day (Saturday, Oct. 19).
Reporting by NTD Television and Omid Ghoreishi
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is on a seven-city tour with performances in Washington, D.C.; New York; Boston; Houston; Dallas; Los Angeles; and San Francisco, from Sept. 27–Oct. 22. For more information, visit Symphony.Shenyun.com