Shen Yun Symphony: Music from the hearts

Many guests were invited to enjoy a tea reception featuring a talk show at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel on June 9 to learn about one of the best symphony orchestras in the world – Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra. The event was organized by Viet My Traditional Culture Company, with the permission from Shen Yun Office in New York. Participants of the event include representatives of several embassies such as Japan, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand and other associations, as well as professors, associate professors, PhDs, folk artists, elite artists, orchestra conductors, musicians, singers, writers, poets, journalists, lawyers, CEOs, entrepreneurs in many fields such as music, art, history, science, education, culture, communication and business in Vietnam.
By telling a true story of the lead violin performer in the orchestra and sharing videos of some excellent performances and special testimonials from the audiences, Viet My Traditional Culture Company conveyed the characteristics of Shen Yun music to all guests at the event. A decade ago, a group of well-known music composers, directors and artists from both the East and the West gathered together to establish Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra – with the mission of reviving the true and noble values of classical music from the 5,000-year civilization. Within just 10 years, Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra has made miraculous achievements; every year touring in world renowned theaters such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in Tokyo, and Daegu Concert House in Daegu, etc. In each country and city, they always receive warm welcome from the audience, along with praises and admiration from famous musicians and artists in various art fields around the world. Shen Yun is becoming a global
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is the first orchestra to successfully combine Western and Eastern instruments in such high level of harmony. You can hear the sound of erhu blending in a unique way with the Western orchestra or the cello playing alongside the emotional sounding of the erhu … One of the invited guests, Mr. Tran Manh Hung, a talented musician awarded with several Arts Awards for symphonic and vocal compositions, shared his remarks of Shen Yun music: “Shen Yun’s special characteristic is the combination of two cultures. Formerly, musicians have primarily focused on music skills, they considered notes to be the way of combining East and West, but for Shen Yun it is cultural combination”.
Combining the ancient sounds of Oriental instruments with the modern sound of the Western Symphony Orchestra is a great challenge. “Many Chinese or Japanese musicians have tried to connect Eastern and Western musical cultures, but I think it is very difficult and there’s a long way to go. As the harmony, the composition of Eastern music is very different from the West, the instruments are also different, and the intensity is quite unlike”, Mr Hung added. “For Shen Yun artists, they not only create music, but also create a harmonious blend of the universe. Their music is not to honor or satisfy the author, but it is for the good of health and the peace of mind. What it impacts is far beyond what we can think of”. Assoc. Prof. PhD. Cu Le Duyen, Dean of theory and composition of the Vietnam National Academy of Music commented: “Shen Yun’s music is not ordinary music, but it has reached the height, the greatness, the harmony between nature, people and the universe. Perhaps this is the only symphony orchestra in the world that has permanent staff with compositions of mixed Eastern and Western instruments”.
Also shared this view, Prof. PhD. Bui Cong Thanh, a lifetime violinist said: “The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra left me with a strong impression, triggered many thoughts of Western symphony as well as harmony of East and West. I personally feel that the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is successful because they bring together artists of the same faith, same idea, and march in the same direction. In addition, their music has a great East-West harmony, touching the East’s emotional ladders, reaching out to the emotional ladder of the West, in perfect harmony. Their success lies in that”.
“The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is typical of Asia, of the East with unique musical instruments, borrowed from the Western orchestra as a background, thus highlighting the uniqueness of Eastern music. This is a very skillful combination”, Prof. Thanh added.