Is there a live orchestra?

Yes. Every Shen Yun performance is accompanied by a one-of-a-kind orchestra that combines Western symphonic instruments with traditional Chinese instruments like the two-stringed erhu, the plucked pipa, and a range of percussion instruments. Shen Yun’s orchestra is the first in the world to include these categories of instruments as its permanent members. It has done what many have tried to do and not succeeded at: blend two distinct musical traditions into one harmonious sound.