Shen Yun Symphony: Music from the Heart

Building one more bridge to traditional culture, on the afternoon of June 9, Viet My Traditional Culture Company introduced guests at a tea party at the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel to one of the world’s finest symphony orchestras – the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra, with the permission of the Shen Yun office in New York.

The event brought together many guests, including representatives of the embassies of Japan, South Korea, Canada and New Zealand and of various associations; professors, associate professors, doctors, People’s Artists, Meritorious Artists, conductors, composers, musicians, singers, writers, poets, journalists, lawyers, painters, managers and business people from many fields such as music, the arts, history, science, education, culture, media and business in Vietnam

Japanese Minister Mr. Shinichi Asazuma (far left) and South Korean Ambassador Mr. Kim Do Hyon (third from left)

Japanese Minister Mr. Shinichi Asazuma attending the event

Japanese conductor Mr. Honna Tetsuji – music director and principal conductor of the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra – attending the event.

Through stories, introduction videos, videos of symphonic pieces and the impressions of audience members, Viet My Traditional Culture JSC conveyed something of the unique character of Shen Yun’s music to the guests at the event.

Ten years ago, a group of renowned composers, conductors and artists from both East and West came together to found the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra – with the mission of reviving the true and noble values of classical music from humanity’s 5,000-year civilization. In just 10 short years, the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra has achieved many feats, touring every year at many of the world’s renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, Roy Thomson Hall, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Daegu Concert House and more. In every country and every city, they are warmly welcomed by audiences and receive praise and admiration from many famous musicians and artists in the world of the arts. It can be said that Shen Yun is becoming a global phenomenon!

The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is the first orchestra to successfully combine Eastern and Western instruments in a harmonious, seamless way that reaches the highest level. You can hear the erhu harmonized in a uniquely majestic Western style, or the cello played with the emotional scales of the erhu…

One of the guests who joined the conversation, Mr. Tran Manh Hung, a talented composer who has received many Literature and Arts awards for his symphonic and vocal works, also shared some impressions of Shen Yun’s music: “What is special about Shen Yun is the combination of two cultures. In the past, composers mainly focused on musical technique, treating the notes as a means of combining East and West, but with Shen Yun it is a combination of cultures.”

Composer Tran Manh Hung and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cu Le Duyen talking with the two MCs during the program

Composer Tran Manh Hung (right)

Blending the ancient sounds of Eastern instruments with the modern sound of a Western symphony orchestra is truly a great challenge. Speaking more about this, Mr. Hung shared: “Many Chinese and Japanese composers have tried to connect the musical cultures of East and West, but I think there are many difficulties and the road is still very long. For example, in harmony, the structure of Eastern music is completely different from Western symphonic music, the instruments are different, and even the playing dynamics are different.

The Shen Yun artists don’t just create music, they create a harmonious blend of the universe. Their music is not meant to glorify or satisfy the composer; it is sound that is good for the body and brings peace to the mind. What they do truly goes far beyond what we imagine.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cu Le Duyen, Head of the Faculty of Theory, Composition and Conducting at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, remarked: “Shen Yun’s music is not ordinary music; it has reached great heights, a sublime level, with harmony between nature, people and all things in the universe. This is perhaps the only symphony orchestra in the world with a permanent lineup combining Eastern and Western instruments.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cu Le Duyen, Head of the Faculty of Theory, Composition and Conducting at the Vietnam National Academy of Music

Agreeing with this view, Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Thanh, an artist who has devoted his whole life to the violin, shared: “The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra left a strong impression on me and awakened many thoughts about Western symphonic music as well as the blending of East and West. Personally, I feel that the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra succeeds because it brings together artists who share the same beliefs and ideas and go in the same direction. Moreover, their music blends East and West beautifully, distilling Eastern emotional scales and bringing them together with Western ones in great harmony. That is where their success lies.”

Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Thanh and pipa player and ca tru singer Pham Thi Hue talking during the program

He added: “The Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra carries the typical character of Asia and the East, with instruments of unique timbre, while using the rich harmonies of a Western orchestra as its foundation, which makes the uniqueness of Eastern music stand out. It is a very skillful combination.”

An essential part of the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra’s annual tour is vocal music. Shen Yun’s singers are specially trained in the most traditional bel canto style, producing the clearest and most beautiful sound. All of Shen Yun’s lyrics are original works. They carry a rich philosophy of life and deep meaning that can transcend borders, ethnicities and cultures, and they are appreciated and loved by audiences all over the world. Some audience members even call Shen Yun’s songs “hymns”.

In addition, the kindness in the hearts of Shen Yun’s artists fills their music with pure, upright energy that reaches the very depths of the listener’s heart, dissolving worries, healing wounds, uplifting emotions and making people nobler… Many listeners have said that the Shen Yun Symphony is truly “music from the heart!”

Speaking about the effect and role of music in our lives, Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Thanh said: “Music is abstract but very real; it teaches people beauty and goodness, and the ultimate goodness is faith. Every ray of light that reaches the sun comes from the sun; if you have faith in beauty and goodness, you will surely reach beauty and goodness. And perhaps we are also looking for ways to restore and nurture faith in all music listeners in Vietnam through this music.”

Another guest of the program, pipa player and ca tru singer Pham Thi Hue, who has devoted much effort to preserving the art of ca tru, shared: “When I heard Shen Yun’s musicians talk about music, I learned that music originally served to heal, helping people balance yin and yang, keep a peaceful mind and correct imbalances in the body. The five tones Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi and Yu correspond to the five organs of the body. And in the legend of the founder of ca tru, Dinh Du used the sound of his dan day lute to heal the villagers. For me, music dissolves all the sorrows of the heart, keeps the mind still and helps wisdom flourish.”

Prof. Dr. Bui Cong Thanh and pipa player and ca tru singer Pham Thi Hue

Indeed, the original purpose of music is to keep the human spirit balanced and preserve the purity of the soul, thereby helping to heal all wounds of the mind and body. These are the noble things that Shen Yun’s artists wish to restore and share with audiences all over the world.

Music connects heart to heart. When listening to symphonic music, many people worry that it is not easy to listen to and hard to fully grasp. But if you feel it with your heart, your emotions can completely blend with every note. Ms. Cu Le Duyen also made some lovely remarks about music as a message to listeners: “Music is not meant to be understood. Some people think symphonic music is academic and hard to understand, so when they listen, they try to use their knowledge to figure out some idea. But in our view, when the music flows and people keep trying to understand it, the enjoyment of the sound in their soul is perhaps interrupted. Music is really not for understanding but for feeling what flows in our souls, with all the harmony of nature, the universe and humankind.”

Pipa player and ca tru singer Pham Thi Hue sharing her impressions of Shen Yun’s symphonic music

The program closed with endless applause from the guests, happy smiles and many wishes to hear in person, in Vietnam in the near future, the soul-stirring sounds of the Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra.

More photos from the event: