WASHINGTON—Shen Yun’s Symphony Orchestra was warmly received by the audience as it made its Washington debut Friday, Sept. 27, 2013 at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall. The orchestra previously performed at the Kennedy Center with its full company of dancers.
Dennis and Kathy Kelley brought their two young girls to the Shen Yun orchestra performance Friday.
Mr. Kelley, who works as an IT consultant, said the performance “was the very first concert that [their daughters have] been to and they really enjoyed it. And we all enjoyed it. We look forward to seeing it again.”
The orchestra brings together the Eastern sounds of Chinese traditional instruments with the full strength of a Western orchestra to create a new and unique sound.
“It was absolutely delightful... It was just a really delightful experience. Very, very moving. Very moving,” said Mrs Kelley.
The orchestra performed highlights from Shen Yun’s repertoire of original performance pieces, as well as masterpieces of the Western tradition.
Mrs. Kelley said her daughters enjoyed the chance to see the unfamiliar Chinese instruments not found in Western orchestras. Although they had heard the instruments before, they had never had the chance to see them played live.
Mrs. Kelley said she thought the Chinese instruments were very soulful, “soulful and very expressive.”
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is on a seven-city tour with performances in Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, from Sept. 27-Oct. 22. For more information, visit Symphony.Shenyun.com