The Cadillac · Shanghai Concert Hall has been a witness to the historical changes and urban development since its construction in 1930, with countless music masters gracing its stage to deliver artistic feasts. Every brick, pillar, carving, and oil painting in this building tells a story. Let us approach the Shanghai Concert Hall and, through more than 90 years of time, trace the past and present of this architectural gem and appreciate the legendary tales of this palace of arts.
Originally known as the Nanjing Grand Theater, the Shanghai Concert Hall was completed in 1930 and designed by Chinese architects who studied abroad, Fan Wenzhao and Zhao Shen. It opened on March 26th of that year and was the first theater in Shanghai to screen foreign films, premiering the American musical film ‘Broadway’. Its European Baroque architectural style earned it the nickname ‘Shanghai’s Paris Opera House’. In 1950, it was renamed Beijing Cinema, and in 1959, it was renamed again to its current name, Shanghai Concert Hall. As a professional music performance venue nationwide, with its distinctive European classical architectural style, it was listed as a municipal-level cultural relic protection unit for outstanding modern architecture by the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government in 1989. It is one of Shanghai’s historical music performance venues and a landmark reflecting the spirit of Shanghai’s culture, which is a blend of Chinese and Western, diverse, and progressive. The Shanghai Concert Hall specializes in chamber music and is dedicated to presenting various music genres such as classical, modern, jazz, pop, and traditional Chinese music. With over 500 concerts and hundreds of public welfare educational events each year, it upholds the artistic service concept of ‘Music for Everyone’, hosting more than 200,000 visitors annually. It is considered by the citizens of Shanghai as the ‘Palace of Classical Music, Window of Fashionable Music, and Home of Popular Music’, and is one of Shanghai’s cultural landmarks. Since 1960, the Shanghai Concert Hall has been the venue for major music events such as the ‘Shanghai Spring’ International Music Festival and the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. International and domestic music groups performing in Shanghai often choose this venue. The Shanghai Concert Hall has always been an important window for Shanghai audiences to understand and appreciate world orchestras and musicians. Since its opening, world-renowned artistic groups such as the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Juilliard String Quartet, Hagen String Quartet, conductors Mariss Jansons, Christian Thielemann, violinists Isaac Stern, Salvatore Accardo, cellists Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Wang Jian, pianists Fou Ts’ong, De Larrocha, Murray Perahia, Maurizio Pollini, Andras Schiff, early music master Jordi Savall, accordionist Richard Galliano, and 10-time Grammy Award winner and singer Bobby McFerrin have all performed unforgettable and exciting performances on the stage of the Shanghai Concert Hall.To align with the urban redevelopment plan, starting from September 2002, the Shanghai Concert Hall underwent a remarkable relocation and restoration project. Weighing a massive 5,650 tons, the concert hall was lifted by 3.38 meters during the relocation process. It was moved from its original location at the elevated Tibet Road ramp to its current position in a southeasterly direction, covering a distance of 66.46 meters, thus creating a marvel in the history of architectural relocations across the nation.
The relocated concert hall reopened on October 1, 2004. On August 28, 2017, Cadillac was honored to have its name associated with the Shanghai Concert Hall. The opening times are subject to the schedule of performances and events at the venue.
