Korean Violinist: Shen Yun’s Show Is Immeasurably Sacred

Curtain call at the Gyeonggi Arts Center Grand theater. (The Epoch Times)

SUWON, South Korea—Renowned Korean violinist Ji Dong-sam saw Shen Yun’s last show in Suwan on Feb. 18. “What I have learned became so insignificant after I saw Shen Yun’s show. Shen Yun’s orchestra makes the combination of musical instruments from the East and West sound so sacred and harmonious. I am speechless in all my admiration,” Ms. Ji said excitedly after the show.

At one time Ms. Ji held the first chair in the violin section in the most renowned orchestra in Korea. She has performed all over the world.

She especially loved the erhu performance. She was amazed by how harmonious the combination of Eastern and Western instruments sounded. “To make the combination sound three dimensional is very hard to do. Shen Yun did it perfectly.”

Ms. Ji enjoyed more than the music. She praised the costumes and wanted to know how Shen Yun made the handkerchiefs in the dance < Handkerchiefs>. She also commented on the backdrop, “It blends in with the people on stage naturally.”

Ms. Ji wanted to introduce Shen Yun to her friends so they get to see the shows next year. “This kind of cultural experience is rare and valuable.”

The Music Is Marvelous

After Shen Yun’s last performance in Suwon ended with a warm applause, Professor Kim Gun-Ja talked about how she felt. Kim is a professor of Music Therapy at Ewha Women’s University and the first President of Korean Association for Music Therapy. She believed the show dedicated its music, singing, and dance to embody traditional Chinese culture.

Ms. Kim was overwhelmed by the orchestra. “The trumpet was extraordinary. The percussion instruments matched seamlessly with the dances. The movements in the were clean and powerful. Very impressive.”

Ms. Kim highly respected the soloists: “They are extraordinary and magnificent. I kept wanting to hear them again. I don’t understand Chinese, but I learned the meaning from the captions. The songs were meaningful and vivid.”

Speaking more specifically about the orchestra, Ms. Kim said: “The female conductor did a great job coordinating the band in playing so many pieces. The members look young and it was hard for me to imagine they could play so fine, both the strings and the pipes.”

When she learned that the conductor did not have musical scores in front of her and did all the conducting by memory, Ms. Kim was shocked. “That was unbelievable what they have achieved!”

“Chinese musical scales are different from Korean. They went back and forth very fast, just like the swings and turns in the dances.”

Ms. Kim’s son is a cellist and was performing at another concert. “I did not go with him and I do not regret at all. I have gained a lot here,” said Kim.

Ms. Kim liked the costumes on the artists. “They are novel. There are many ethnicities in China with dazzling and colorful costumes. I saw the diversity of the ethnic people in the show. The costumes gave me a feeling of comfort and peace.”

For Ms. Kim, the show combined both the traditional and the modern. “It’s hard to believe Shen Yun did it so perfectly. I believe not even ballet has such expressive capability.”

With reporting by Jo Yun-Deok.

  For more information, please visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org