“Puget Sound Symphony”

“Not above wearing a car engine filter on his head on the podium (though I can’t recall what the filter was doing onstage), conductor Alan Shen has a clear idea of what’s important about orchestras … ” (read more)

May 25, 2005, Seattle Weekly

“Puget Sound Symphony Orchestra at Town Hall”

“The tuxedo was designed for no other reason than to make a man look good while standing still, preferably holding a champagne flute. It’s an awful thing to wear for any activity that requires freedom of arm movement, like, say, playing an instrument. As a former orchestral cellist, I’d rather wear a suit of armor. That any orchestra, especially a community orchestra, still clings to this tradition baffles me … ” (read more)