October 22 at the Music Center at Strathmore
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra returns to Washington, D.C., with its signature concert experience that spans 5,000 years of classical music. The concert will take place on October 22, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, in Bethesda, Md.
Shen Yun’s unique repertoire of all-original works is rooted in millennia of traditional Chinese culture and revives precious stories, and even melodies, from the distant past. Ancient Chinese instruments—like the two-stringed erhu and the piquant pipa— pleasantly blend with classical strings, woodwinds, and brass.
Shen Yun’s approach is unique in both musical composition and expression. The result is a vivid sound with great emotional range—perfect for musical storytelling. The program also features Shen Yun’s celebrated singers, as well as timeless classics by Dvořák, Suppé, and Tchaikovsky.
According to the Shen Yun website, “The rippling notes of the pipa transport you to an imperial banquet, where maidens dance under a silvery moon. In a sudden shift, powerful drumbeats conjure an ancient battlefield where the valor of heroes shines through. This is a performance that breathes new life into the legends and melodies of ancient dynasties.”
The New York-based Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra was formed in response to the many theatergoers who longed to hear the music of Shen Yun—the phenomenally successful dance production—in concert form. Since debuting at Carnegie Hall in 2012, it has performed to great acclaim worldwide. It is home to an impressive number of internationally accomplished musicians, including its singers, known for their remarkable ability to sing the most traditional bel canto in Chinese. Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra is distinguished by its artistic vision of cultural renewal through works unfailingly positive and bright.
The Music Center at Strathmore is one of the best concert halls in the region with incredible acoustics and is located across from the Grosvenor-Strathmore metro station (red line.) Parking is located in the Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro garage off Tuckerman Lane. Parking is complimentary for ticketed events in the Music Center’s Concert Hall.
PROGRAM
Shen Yun Original Works
Descent from Heaven – A Renewal: From a golden celestial paradise, deities descend to the Earth, incarnating into the grand imperial court of China’s Han Dynasty.
Kublai Khan: A grand and dynamic piece befitting one of history’s most powerful emperors.
A Passage in Time: A fairy tale with a touch of romance about a young man’s sojourn in a Taoist abode.
Tibetan Drums: Sonorous calls of prayer horns roll down from majestic Himalayan peaks, and then the melody quickly evolves into a buoyant celebration.
And other works.
Western Classics
TCHAIKOVSKY – Violin Concerto, Op. 35, 3rd Movement: A triumph of the unlikely, this concerto overcame the sting of initial rejection by critics to become a beloved work lauded for its lyrical virtuosity.
SUPPÉ – Light Cavalry Overture: This overture has enjoyed a career well beyond the operetta for which it was originally set, with its main theme having been excerpted widely.
DVOŘÁK – Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 72: Inspired by Brahms’s Hungarian Dances, this work embodies the cultural vitality of the southern Slavic region.
Program subject to change.
PERFORMERS
Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra
Milen Nachev, Conductor
Haolan Geng, Soprano
Tian Ge, Tenor
Fiona Zheng, Violin
Xiaochun Qi, Lu Sun, Linda Wang, Erhu
Astrid Martig, Concertmaster
For more information, please visit www.ShenYun.com/symphony/DC or call 888-974-3698.
The Music Center at Strathmore is located at
5301 Tuckerman Lane
North Bethesda, MD 20852
Box office hours:
Monday – Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturday: 10am-2pm
