SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS

Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra ‘Painted an Interesting Palette for Me’

Oct 27, 2016
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Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra ‘Painted an Interesting Palette for Me’
Mr. and Ms. Wendt at the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra performance at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Oct. 26, 2016. (NTD Television)

WASHINGTON—Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra artists perform so flawlessly together that it’s as if they’re all part of an organism, with the conductor as the heart.

That’s how Stephen Wendt, president and CEO of an environmental engineering company and an artist, described Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra after seeing the company perform at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Wednesday evening.

“Flawless; excited. I could see extreme teamwork,” Mr. Wendt said.

“It’s the little pieces that all fit into one,” added Jan Wendt, who works in international satellite communications. “So it goes back to the harmony, … all the sounds, how they just blend in into one piece. Very powerful.”

The musical performance was reminiscent of the dance performance the couple saw Shen Yun Performing Arts put on in D.C. the previous season.

Based in New York, Shen Yun Performing Arts is a classical Chinese dance and music company. Every year starting in December, the company launches a world tour, presenting global audiences with exhilarating performances of classical Chinese dance accompanied by Shen Yun’s live orchestra. As it has become a yearly tradition, the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra does a tour of its own each fall, presenting to audiences its unique blending of traditional Chinese instruments into a Western orchestra.

This unique blending of the sounds fascinated Mr. Wendt.

“The fusion of the two continents’ music, for me, was really, really excellent,” he said.

“I kept imagining the dancing that we saw the last time that they were here in Washington. It was the first time we’ve ever seen them, and it was absolutely fantastic.”

“I agree,” Ms. Went chimed in, “I love the fusion of the Chinese instruments with the Western instruments, and the musicians did a fantastic job.”

Painting a Scene

The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Oct. 26, 2016. (Epoch Times)
The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center Concert Hall on Oct. 26, 2016. (Epoch Times)

Mr. Wendt, a painter, sculptor, and a writer, had deep interpretations of the music he took in.

“To me, it was like there were many pieces that seemed like dawn awakening. I could see nature scenes … I could see butterflies and flowers and really beautiful things. So I was imagining things in my mind as the music played in my ears,” he said.

“As an artist, I often look for harmony and try to develop harmony. So it painted an interesting palette for me, both with my ears and also what I was imagining.”

The performance isn’t just about harmony in the sounds. As Ms. Wendt put it, “It also harmonizes all of our senses, our sight, our sound, and you could taste the music.”

“It’s wonderful, absolutely wonderful,” Mr. Wendt said.

“I think it’s a wonderful way to promote the culture, too,” Ms. Wendt added.

Reporting by NTD Television and Omid Ghoreishi

New York-based Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra comprises musicians from the four Shen Yun Performing Arts touring companies. For information about the last October performance, visit: ShenYun.com/Symphony

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the company’s inception in 2006.