TAICHUNG, Taiwan—It would be a normal working day for Lee Cai-jei, CEO of a local seafood chain, if she had not decided to take time off to see Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra. Now, after watching the performance, the Taiwanese businesswoman was so inspired that she was ready to make changes in her life.
“The concert has cleansed all the dust on my body and cleansed my heart,” said Ms. Lee, after seeing the matinee performance at Taichung Chung Hsing Hall on Sept. 29. “It gave me a clear idea of what to do next.”
Ms. Lee said she was always busy with work. But now, she began to think hard about her career, and she would like to spend more time with her family. “This concert was simply so inspirational,” she said.
The symphony orchestra brings to the audience both Western classics and all-original Chinese melodies, which are inspired by ancient Chinese culture which put great emphasis on morality, relationships between people, and the connection between man and heaven.
Ms. Lee said the first changes she would make in her business would be how to better serve her customers, as well as having a new incentive to encourage her employees.
“I will bring along my employees next time there is such a concert or a dance performance,” said Ms. Lee, adding that they would surely learn from the symphony orchestra about how to work together as a team. “It is all about cooperation and coherence,” she added.
The musicians of Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra, part of Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance company, dedicate their work to the revival of five millennia of divinely inspired culture. With the same mission in mind, they are able to perform together seamlessly as one body.
Such unity, according to Ms. Lee, also inspired her to better her interactions with her employees.
“It encourages better communication on my part with my employees,” said Ms. Lee.
Unexpected Music
Ms. Lee felt stunned when first hearing the music. She had never expected Western music could be so soft yet powerful at the same time.
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra “blends the beauty of ancient Eastern instruments with the power of the Western symphony orchestra” to “create a brand new, yet wonderfully familiar, experience,” notes its website.
“I felt amazed because it was the first time I came across the integration of a Western symphony orchestra with Eastern [instruments], like the erhu... It was very innovative and astonishing,” Ms. Lee said.
The erhu, a Chinese instrument, goes back over 4,000 years and can convey a wide range of emotions with only two strings.
It was a very unique experience for her. “I felt very moved,” she said. “While listening with my eyes closed, I began to see images flash in my mind.”
She would like to recommend the performance to others: “The music will inspire you and you will gain more wisdom.”
“I felt blessed to have listened to such a great, one-of-a-kind symphony orchestra.”
Reporting by Frank Fang and Sunny Chao
New York-based Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra comprises musicians from the four Shen Yun Performing Arts touring companies. For information about the October performances, visit: ShenYun.com/Symphony
The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the company’s inception in 2006.