SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Pianist Colleen Matthews had wanted to see Shen Yun Performing Arts for years and found the chance again this year upon receiving a flier.

“I saw a flier a few years ago, and I really wanted to come,” Mrs. Matthews said with her son Kurt at the Sacramento Community Center Theater, Jan. 15.

Based in New York, Shen Yun revives 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through the performing arts.

The dancing had been spectacular and the stories were easy to follow, Mrs. Matthews said, but the instrumentation of the orchestra had caught her attention.

Shen Yun Orchestra is unique in its blending of traditional Chinese instruments and a full Western symphony, which was different for Mrs. Matthews.

“I really like it,” Mrs. Matthews said, in wonder at the different sounds that came together in the orchestra. Instruments like the two-stringed erhu and the woodwind suona, which plays bright and clear sounds similar to birdcalls, play alongside violins and flutes.

“Different sounds, but very peaceful, happy, I like it,” Mrs. Matthews said. “It’s a happy feeling, peaceful.”

Reporting by Flora Qu and Catherine Yang

New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has four touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit Shen Yun Performing Arts.

The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time. We have proudly covered audience reactions since Shen Yun’s inception in 2006.