Shen Yun has arrived in Taiwan for the final leg of its Asia tour that began in January. And on April 3, the New York-based company graced the stage at the Chih-The Hall of the Kaohsiung Cultural Center to a sold-out audience.
Among those in the audience was Wu Hung-chang, an opera singer who once studied at Italy’s Accademia Musicale Di Pescara under the tutelage of baritone Aldo Protti. Wu is now the conductor of Kaohsiung-based opera company Taiwan Opera.
“I am so touched. This year marked the 13th time that I have seen [Shen Yun] since 2007,” Wu said. He elaborated that he only had to foot a small amount of money to pay for the ticket, but what he got to see was the best performance in the world.
Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance and music company founded in New York in 2006. And every year since, the company has toured the world with an entirely new production—including all new choreography, music, and costumes.
“The vocalists put their life into their performance. And while seeing the Erhu solo performance, I had such a powerful feeling as if my heart and the performer’s heart beat as one,” Wu said.
Shen Yun is reviving an age-old tradition—the singing technique of bel canto—which at its true form is lost in both the East and the West, according to Shen Yun’s website. Meanwhile, the Erhu, known for its ability to convey a wide range of emotions, is one of the Chinese instruments showcased during the performance.
Wu said he wanted to tell Shen Yun conductor Milen Nachev “bravo” for how he had conducted the orchestra that accompanied the dance on stage. He explained how Nachev was precise on every note, and he was successful in interpreting the different musical pieces—neither of each was easy.
Finally, Wu said he would like to congratulate Shen Yun—a wonderful performance that was the result of “perfect teamwork” between dancers, musicians, and technicians putting up the digital backdrop.
In Taiwan, Shen Yun will put on a total of 28 performances in six cities—Kaohsiung, Taipei, Keelung, Taichung, Taoyuan, and Tainan—from now until April 30.
NTD News, Taiwan