(Clearwisdom.net) Shen Yun Performing Arts received praise from European officials even before they arrived in Europe to perform. Then, once in Europe, many audience members thoroughly enjoyed the performance and freely expressed their feelings about the performance. The Shen Yun tour started in Frankfurt, Germany on February 26, and concluded in Slovakia on May 8. A total of 52 shows were performed in 11 countries including Germany, Austria, France, Czech Republic, Ireland, Belgium, UK, Holland, Sweden and Slovakia.

Shen Yun Gets Warm Welcome Ahead of West End Performances

Edward McMillan-Scott, vice president of the European Parliament, praised Shen Yun warmly, saying it gave “a fascinating insight into ancient China and showed the beauty of it’s 5,000-year-old culture. Anyone who appreciates the arts cannot fail to be impressed by this remarkable performance,” he said. “It certainly deserves the success it has received in recent years. The China of yesterday is represented by Shen Yun and I hope that it will also be the China of tomorrow. I would encourage everyone to attend this very beautiful and enjoyable show,” he added.

Edward McMillan-Scott, vice president of the European Parliament

Artistic Director: Shen Yun 'Touched the heart deeply'

Dr. Walter Reicher and his daughter attended Shen Yun Performing Arts, at the Wiener Stadthalle.

Dr. Walter Reicher, artistic director and manager of the Haydn Festivals, a festival that presents Joseph Haydn's compositions, and his daughter said that they were delighted to have attended the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company performance in Vienna.

"It was an absolutely beautiful evening," said Dr. Reicher. "Great atmosphere, gorgeous colors, and yet, a message that came clearly through, telling its audiences that such a rich culture has been destroyed. We thank the heavens for Shen Yun bringing the Chinese divine culture back to life. Overall, the different stories being told, was exceptional. It was very well apportioned and very well choreographed. One can truly understand why the Chinese people are so proud of their past."

The show conveyed a message for this artistic director and he was deeply moved by it, "Life is beautiful and worth living. One can't lose hope, even if life brings terrible tribulations."

He was astounded to find "the connection between the Chinese and the Western musical instruments." Dr. Reicher said, "I have read that the music was specifically composed for the Shen Yun shows. This is a completely new music. What is so impressive is the combination of Western instruments and instruments from China."

He was especially enamored with the two-stringed ancient Chinese instrument, erhu "It is unbelievable. There is such a different tone, but the idea behind this instrument is similar to that of a violin. I was impressed, as well as with the composition itself, although it is music from a different environment it didn't sound foreign, but touched the heart deeply. That is what one calls good music."

Member of Slovak Parliament: Thrilled by Shen Yun's 'Traditionally Exquisite Standard'

The Hon. Peter Osusky was in attendance at Shen Yun, at the Bratislava National Theatre, on May 7.

The Hon. Peter Osusky, medical doctor, member of the Slovak Parliament and admirer of fine arts, was in attendance at Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company's presentation held at the Bratislava National Theatre on May 7.

"I have seen Shen Yun twice. The first time I saw it was its first run in Bratislava, and I am thrilled by its traditionally exquisite standard, and the fact that this year the program was completely different," said Mr. Osusky. "Today I found out that they change the performance every year. So this one was equally extraordinary, but completely different, and I must say that 5 curtain calls of standing ovations means appreciation of the troupe's art, and on the other hand, I believe that for not a small part of the audience, this was a way of expressing their support to what this troupe stands for, apart from 5,000 years of Chinese culture," he said.

Mr. Osusky was struck by the performance of the erhu player. The erhu is a two-stringed Chinese instrument, which is often commented on by audience members for its hauntingly beautiful sound. "The orchestra played beautifully, and I must say that the erhu player—I hadn't heard of the erhu before—surprised me not by her art, but also by the fact that it is possible to elude sounds this beautiful from a seemingly simple, two-stringed instrument. This just proves, that even though a Europe-centric person, who only knows the violin or the viola, is used to the idea that high art is done with high number of strings, the truth is, that there is not really a correlation," added Mr. Osusky.

He mused on how he would recommend Shen Yun to his friends: "If I was to say something, I would advise them to come and see [it], that there really is something [other] than Swan Lake ... and that it's definitely equally attractive, and for us, perhaps surprisingly, rich, as after all, we live in the world of our civilization and this is something different."