CHICAGO—“The singer that sung the opera ... was absolutely amazing,” said Jose Gomes, MD, after hearing Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra and its vocalists. He had just attended the Chicago Symphony Center Orchestra Hall for a single performance of Shen Yun on Oct. 21.

The Chinese vocalist who so impressed Dr. Gomes was Tian Ge. He sang “Nessun dorma” from Puccini’s “Turandot,” in the bel canto style.

Shen Yun combines both Chinese and Western instruments to create a fresh sound, and adds Western repertoire to each concert.

Dr. Gomes, a Brazilian eye doctor, is on the editorial board of Ocular Surface. He is a classical music enthusiast.

He enjoyed the contrasting sounds which the Chinese instruments added: “The mixture makes a very nice contrast, very sweet, and the program was wonderful because it mixed the typical folk music of China with the typical Western classical music. So, I liked the program very much.”

He felt the combination created a dynamic experience for the audience.

The 2014 Shen Yun Orchestra tour encompasses seven cities, with two cities remaining with Miami, on Oct. 25, and Sarasota, on Oct. 27.

Reporting by Wan Yin and Sharon Kilarski

New York-based Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra comprises musicians from the four Shen Yun Performing Arts touring companies. Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time.

The orchestra’s North American tour runs through Oct. 27. For more information, visit http://www.shenyunperformingarts.org/symphony