HOUSTON—Daniel Lieberman, senior adviser for Chevron, attended Shen Yun Performing Arts with family on New Year’s Eve at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in Houston.
“It was magnificent. It was a great opportunity to see some cultural history,” Mr. Lieberman said.
Through the arts, Mr. Lieberman said, he gained more insight into the Chinese culture. Mr. Lieberman is an environmental management expert who has frequently lectured on corporate risk management. Before working for Chevron’s corporate headquarters, he worked with governments, NGOs, and led strategic initiatives for ICF International, leading up to its 2006 IPO.
For Mr. Lieberman, New York-based Shen Yun’s use of music, which blends East and West, was one of the highlights. Shen Yun Orchestra, which finished its first North America tour earlier this year, seamlessly blends traditional Chinese instruments into a full western symphony.
In addition, Shen Yun’s vocal soloists sing original Chinese compositions in the bel canto style.
Mr. Lieberman said the traditional Chinese instruments, like the two-stringed erhu, made the biggest impression on him.
Watching Shen Yun, the performance tell a story and “you gain some insight into the significance of the dance and the music and the culture,” Mr. Lieberman said.
“It’s a significant culture that should not be lost, and it’s a shame that there’s so much limit on the expression of these cultural things in China,” Mr. Lieberman said.
‘It was wonderful’
Mr. Rick Conti said Shen Yun Performing Arts is wonderful after attending on New Year’s Eve, at the Jones Hall for the Performing Arts, in Houston. (Catherine Yang/Epoch Times)
Also in the audience was Mr. Rick Conti, head of Wells Fargo’s Houston home mortgage branch, who came specifically for Shen Yun’s revival of traditional Chinese culture.
Watching Shen Yun was overall uplifting, he said, and left him with the desire to learn even more.
“I thought it was wonderful,” Mr. Conti said. “It was just the passion that all the performers had.”
Reporting by Vickie Luo and Catherine Yang
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.
