(Minghui.org) Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra graced the stage of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County, California, on October 18-19, 2013, delighting the audience with a brand-new experience.
While the majority of the program featured original compositions, the orchestra also presented European classics by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky. Both evenings, the orchestra played to a full house and ended with prolonged, enthusiastic standing ovations.
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra performed at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, Orange County, California on October 18 and 19, 2013.
As the film capital of the world and leader in pop culture, Los Angeles boasts one of the most sophisticated and globally experienced audiences. Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra made an impressive debut and won rave reviews from many arts professionals. The unique features of the performance registered especially well with these trendsetters in Los Angeles.
Film Producer: “Really, Really Remarkable!”
“Really, really remarkable!” enthused seasoned film producer and writer Michele Berk after attending the opening night performance of Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra.
Michele Berk, a seasoned film producer in Hollywood, attended the opening night of the Shen Yun concert with a few friends from the same field. She said that she would return to see Shen Yun Performing Arts in March 2014 and would follow the orchestra and its work.
“I think mixing the different themes—you know, you had Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, and you had these wonderful Chinese compositions, and different conductors, and also having the opera singers mixed in—the blend was so perfect. There's something for everyone. Everyone's voice was heard. Every piece of music touched something in someone's heart tonight. I know many, many pieces of music just moved me. It was really, really remarkable!” she enthused.
Ms. Berk spoke highly of Shen Yun's original compositions: “I especially liked the Chinese compositions. The music of China has such a haunting melody. It just seduces you in all your senses. It just takes you on this journey—whatever that journey means to you at the moment—you just feel like you are transported. I had a long day at work. For me to come and be entertained like this was truly delightful.”
Ms. Berk's producer credits include the film “Bandits,” with two Golden Globe nominations. Her writer credits include the famous TV series “Baywatch.”
Hollywood Music Producer: “Outstanding!”
Jim DeCicco, Hollywood music producer and promoter, thoroughly enjoyed the concert.
“I thought the show was outstanding! The musicianship was very impressive. The arrangement and, of course, the theater—it was an incredible experience,” he said. “Very, very thrilled.”
“It really spanned the range. You drift off, you visualize the landscape, and it was very exciting,” he added.
Mr. DeCicco said the performance achieved a great combination of traditional Chinese instruments with a classical Western symphony orchestra.
Professor: Shen Yun's Approach “Is the Future for the World”
Jacqueline Hanan, an award-winning professor of language and arts, was very excited about the concert.
“The Polonaise of Tchaikovsky, oh my gosh, I was flying. I was flying in the theater. It was so beautiful!” she exclaimed with joy.
Ms. Hanan commended Shen Yun's approach of blending the East and the West, and believed it to be leading a global trend.
“It is fantastic, totally fantastic. I am in heaven. I love it. I love the combination of [East and West]. I think it is the future for the world,” she said.
“The voice was magnificent. The soprano was beautiful! It was an amazing program, totally amazing. It's an unbelievable and unique production. The act of changing all the conductors was marvelous,” she added.
Musician: “I'm Blown Away!”
Musician Kim La Chance was thrilled with the performance as well.
“The vibration you get through your body, through your soul, is just so enlightening! And the conductors, I really enjoyed each and every one of them. Each one of them brought a character to the stage that was just powerful,” she said.
“Just being in the room, you are part of it, of that beautiful vibration. What can be better? This beautiful collection of beautiful souls, all collected for this gorgeous, outrageous performance,” she added. “I'm blown away!”
Award-Winning Conductor: “An Incredible Performance”
Dr. Nové Deypalan, founding director and conductor of the Walnut Valley Symphony Orchestra in California, said, "...it's an incredible performance for all of the people and ethnicities and races to come together, united as one, in music."
For orchestra conductor Dr. Nové Deypalan, listening to the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra was an “ethereal experience.” He also thought that Shen Yun Orchestra's approach was ahead of the trend.
“I think it’s about time that this kind of music will be in the mainstream, because it’s a beautiful music,” Mr. Deypalan said during the intermission of the performance on October 18.
“The spirit of the music is just up in the air,” he added. “I don’t know what it is, but it’s just incredible. ... It’s an awesome, awesome feeling.”
Mr. Deypalan has a doctorate in orchestral conducting from the University of Southern California and has won the top prize in the International Conducting Workshop and Competition in Macon, Georgia, in 2012 and 2013. He is currently the founding director and conductor of the Walnut Valley Symphony Orchestra in California.
Mr. Deypalan said the orchestra should travel around the world, “because they’re doing a terrific job.”
Mr. Deypalan, who is of Asian heritage, also praised the “East meets West” aspect of the orchestra.
“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,” he concluded.
Disneyland Technical Director: “Fantastic” Original Compositions
Arpad Petrass, a technical director at Disneyland, attended the concert with his wife Peg. Both were greatly impressed by the original compositions and combination of Eastern and Western music performed by Shen Yun.
“It’s awesome! They are fantastic. It’s like watching a big episodic movie about China, and then just listening to the score. It’s truly great!” enthused Mr. Petrass.
“I love them!” he said in praise of Shen Yun's original compositions. “I love that it’s original. That’s fantastic.”
Mr. Petrass described Shen Yun's sound as “lyrical” and “fun.”
“It’s upbeat, refreshing, exciting—a little bit of something for everybody,” he said.
Mrs. Petrass, a psychologist who owns her own private practice, echoed the sentiment.
“The blend is beautifully done,” she said, referring to the fusion of Eastern and Western sound that is a hallmark of Shen Yun's composition. “I love them [the original pieces]. I just love them! They take you to another place emotionally. … It was like being in heaven—you know, going to another level, another plane. It was beautiful.”
“We are so happy to be here tonight!” concluded Mrs. Petrass.
Clinical Psychologist: “It Warmed My Heart”
“I appreciated it immensely, and it warmed my heart,” said Elaine Epperson, a clinical psychologist, adding that she loves Chinese music.
Ms. Epperson particularly enjoyed the divine and heavenly themes of the performance, saying she could feel an immense love and compassion from Shen Yun’s artists. She said that it was a far cry from the typical music of today.
“It just seems like noise compared to such art, such beauty and such meaning behind the music,” she said. “I really appreciate that. So meaningful.”
IT Director: Moved to Tears
Mark Brauer, an IT director, was moved to tears by Shen Yun music.
Mark Brauer, a director in the field of IT networks and systems management, attended the concert on October 19.
“Very uplifting! It makes you feel good,” he said, describing the music. “It is very moving. I am a little embarrassed to say this: I actually cried a little bit.”
“It was just the sound quality,” said Mr. Brauer, explaining what moved him. “The sound that they were producing. It kind of caught me off guard—I wasn’t expecting to feel like that.”
