“I absolutely loved it. We all enjoyed the sensitivity of the artists that played tonight. There was a distinctive sound that came from the East, but also a distinctive sound that came from the West. … I enjoyed every second of it.” 

“It was absolutely stunning. ... There was such beauty and passion and talent that we were stunned.”

“The tenor had a very powerful voice. Very impactful. Great vibration. … There was just this big sound that came into your bones.”

“I definitely noticed the East and the West coming together in the show, and it was very exciting. ... it was just incredible because I felt the cultures uniting in the music.”

“I have studied culture in university, I studied oriental languages in Venice, and of course some of the cultures of China and Asia, and it was very interesting seeing instruments that are typical of Asia. ... For me it was just jumping into the culture, jumping into the atmosphere ... what the culture means, and it’s very different than reading it in a book at university, but actually getting to hear such incredible pieces of art.”

“The symphony really reminded me of my hometown. I’m Italian. ... It reminds me of the city of Venice, because as you know Venice is also an encounter between the East and the West, and so as I was listening to it, I pictured myself walking and imagining what it was like at the time, and imagining ancient China. So this is essentially the imagination of other places, of other times, and I would absolutely suggest everybody to go—even if you’re a musician of another genre ... everybody should see this [performance].”