Music Professor: "Refreshing to have such good taste" (Photo)

(Clearwisdom.net) LOS ANGELES--Romantics and theater enthusiasts who attended the sold-out Shen Yun Performing Arts show at the Music Center on Valentine's Day expressed their enthusiasm for the performance.

Donald Neuen, professor of choral conducting and choral studies at UCLA, and his wife Susan were among the ethnically diverse audience of young and old. "We just loved the show," he said.

"We knew it was going to be wonderful, but we didn't know it was going to be that wonderful--everything beautiful, everything in good taste, everything professional."

The recipient of two outstanding-alumnus awards, Mr. Neuen regularly directs the UCLA Chorale and the UCLA Chamber Singers. He has guest-conducted choruses and orchestras in 40 U.S. states, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, and is the artistic director of the Angeles Chorale.

"Not very often in the United States do we have a show that is simply beautiful--only beautiful," Mr. Neuen said. "It's so refreshing to have such good taste--and so professional--serenity, energy, but mainly beauty. It was great, great!"

The New York-based performing arts company, with a mission of preserving 5,000 years of China's rich and majestic culture, presents traditional myths and tales through classical Chinese dance, accompanied by a live orchestra.

Mr. Neuen, who is no stranger to classical Chinese culture and art, was impressed with the combination of Chinese and Western music, "It was nice, the blend of Chinese instruments with Western instruments, and the singers were wonderful. And that instrumentalist, the solo instrumentalist, was incredible," he said, referring to the erhu soloist who played the traditional two-stringed instrument.

Donald Neuen, professor of choral conducting and choral studies at UCLA, and his wife Susan at the Music Center's Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

The professor said that Shen Yun had been an inspiration and an "out-of-world experience." "It nourished our soul, it really nourished our soul," he said.

Mrs. Neuen agreed, "Oh, absolutely. In fact, you wanted to cry--cheer. You wanted to go 'Yay! This is right! This is beautiful!' But you were so immersed in watching it that you couldn't. You just had to hold so many feelings inside. But I know the audience was just touched so deeply by the beautiful things they saw and heard," she said.

A former professional singer, Mrs. Neuen described the Shen Yun singers as "grand." "They were just wonderful, and the instruments were great. But the fullness of the Chinese voice, the velvet sound, was just beautiful," she said.

Like her husband, Mrs. Neuen enjoyed the traditional Chinese culture presented by Shen Yun, saying she felt as if she had been "immersed in Chinese culture."

"You know, the movements are different and so, so smooth, just like rippling water. And the cloud dance--just like clouds! And just the interpretation of nature--that was so beautifully done with the human body. Just an out-of-world experience," she said.

"We haven't seen anything so wonderful in many, many years," Mr. Neuen said.

"Oh, we can't say enough [about] the spiritual inspiration, the musical inspiration--everything, everything," he said. They said they would be back to see the show next year.