The National Theater () and National Concert Hall () are twin
performing arts venues at
Liberty Square in
Zhongzheng District,
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. Completed in 1987, the landmarks stand on the south and north sides of the square with
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall () is a national monument, landmark and tourist attraction erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei.
The monument, surrou ...
to the east. Together the venues are referred to by the abbreviation ''NTCH''. The square itself sits near
Ketagalan Boulevard, site of the
Presidential Office Building, the
National Central Library
The National Central Library (NCL; ) is the national library of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan), which is located at No. 20, Zhongshan S. Rd., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 10001, Taiwan. It will soon have a subsidiary called Southe ...
, the
National Taiwan Museum
The National Taiwan Museum (NTM; ), established in 1908, is the oldest museum in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was founded by the colonial government during Taiwan's period of Japanese rule. The museum is located in Zhongzheng District, T ...
, and the
228 Peace Memorial Park.
History
Taiwan's National Theater and National Concert Hall are two of the first major modern performing arts facilities to be established in Asia. Upon the death of
Chiang Kai-shek in 1975, the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
government authorized the construction of a monument and cultural arts facilities on the grounds of a
memorial plaza. The project cost
TWD
The New Taiwan dollar (code: TWD; symbol: NT$, also abbreviated as NT) is the official currency of Taiwan. The New Taiwan dollar has been the currency of Taiwan since 1949, when it replaced the Old Taiwan dollar, at a rate of 40,000 old dollars ...
7.4 billion.
Yang Cho-cheng
Yang Cho-cheng (; 1914 – 26 November 2006) was an internationally renowned Chinese architect. One of his best-known works is the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, a major landmark in Taipei – with his design being chosen from entries in an in ...
and Architects and Engineers Associates were responsible for the overall design. The buildings, though modern in function and purpose, recall traditional elements of Chinese palace architecture. The G+H Company of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Philips, based in
The Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, played leading roles in the design of the interior facilities, stage lighting and acoustics. Civil engineering issues were handled by ,
Veterans Affairs Council. Six directors oversaw the project from initial planning sessions to final completion: Jou Tsuo-Min, Chang Chih-liang, , Hu Yao-heng, Li Yen and Chu Tzung-ching. The structures were completed on 20 September 1987, and officially opened their doors the following month as venues of the “National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center”. Vice President
Lee Teng-hui and Premier
Yu Kuo-hua
Yu Kuo-hwa () (January 10, 1914 – October 4, 2000) was the Premier of the Republic of China from 1984 to 1989.
Biography
He was born on 10 January 1914 in Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. He studied for degrees at Harvard University and the ...
presided over the opening ceremonies for the two buildings on 31 October 1987.
Mass democracy rallies at the
Liberty Square in 1990 launched Taiwanese society on a quick but peaceful transition from one-party authoritarian rule to pluralistic
democracy
Democracy (From grc, δημοκρατία, dēmokratía, ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which people, the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation ("direct democracy"), or to choo ...
. In 1999, the
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
under the administration of
Lee Teng-Hui, Taiwan's first elected president, consolidated the governing bodies of the National Theater and Concert Hall with those of the National Symphony Orchestra,
National Chinese Orchestra
The National Chinese Orchestra, Taiwan (NCO; ) is a Chinese orchestra based in Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China). The ensemble was founded in 1984 as the National Art Academy Experimental Chinese Orchestra. Due to administrative changes, the or ...
and
National Chorus. In 2004 this larger organization became an autonomous executive body, the ''National CKS Cultural Center'', headed by an artistic director reporting to a board of directors.
Each structure can host at least two events simultaneously. The National Theater contains a smaller Experimental Theater and the National Concert Hall holds a more intimate Recital Hall. Outdoor performances can be staged simultaneously on the square. The pipe organ by
Flentrop Orgelbouw in the National Concert Hall was the largest organ in Asia at the time of its installation in 1987. Both structures house art galleries, libraries, shops, and restaurants. The National Theater houses a Performing Arts Library and publication offices for Taiwan's ''Performing Arts Review''.
National Theater and Concert Hall, like all performing arts venues in capital cities, play diplomatic as well as artistic roles. Guests regularly include top elected leaders in Taiwan as well as international artists and dignitaries. Visitors over the years have included
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...
of the
UK,
Mikhail Gorbachev of the
USSR,
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), born Harry Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean lawyer and statesman who served as Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1990, and Secretary-General o ...
of
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
,
Rafael Calderón Muñoz
José María Vicente Esteban Rafael de Jesús Calderón Muñoz, known as Rafael Calderón Muñoz (October 24, 1869 – June 15, 1943) was a Costa Rican politician and physician. He is cited as "one of the leaders of a circle of Catholic politicia ...
of
Costa Rica and former
First Lady Betty Ford
Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was the first lady of the United States from 1974 to 1977, as the wife of President Gerald Ford. As first lady, she was active in social policy and set a precedent as a p ...
of the
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
Artistic Life
The National Theater and Concert Hall host a constant stream of events by local and international artists each year.
Performers who have appeared in the National Theater include the
Cloud Gate Dance Theater, The
Kirov Ballet, the Suzuki Company of Toga and its director
Tadashi Suzuki, Yang Li-hua Taiwanese Opera, the Ming Hwa Yuan Theater Troupe, the Fei Ma Yu Opera Troupe and
Pili Heroes, kabuki performer
Bandō Tamasaburō V
(born 25 April 1950) is a Kabuki actor, and the most popular and celebrated ''onnagata'' (an actor specializing in female roles) currently on stage. He has also acted in a handful of films.
Life and career
Born in 1950, Shin'ichi Morita was a ...
, stage director
Robert Wilson, and dancers
Martha Graham,
Merce Cunningham
Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...
,
Rudolph Nureyev,
Pina Bausch,
Trisha Brown, Liu Feng-hsueh,
Lin Hwai-min,
Lo Man-fei, Yu Hao-yen and Liu Shao-lu.
International performers in the National Concert Hall have included composers
Philip Glass and
Samuel Adler and Fredrick Ernest, sopranos
Jessye Norman
Jessye Mae Norman (September 15, 1945 – September 30, 2019) was an American opera singer and recitalist. She was able to perform dramatic soprano roles, but refused to be limited to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...
,
Barbara Hendricks
Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American operatic soprano and concert singer. Hendricks has lived in Europe since 1977, and in Switzerland in Basel since 1985. She is a citizen of Sweden following her marriage to a Swedish c ...
and
Mirella Freni
Mirella Freni, OMRI (, born Mirella Fregni, 27 February 1935 – 9 February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Gl ...
, tenors
Plácido Domingo,
José Carreras and
Luciano Pavarotti, baritone
Bryn Terfel
Sir Bryn Terfel Jones, (; born 9 November 1965) (known professionally as Bryn Terfel) is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and '' ...
, violinists
Pinchas Zukerman
Pinchas Zukerman ( he, פנחס צוקרמן, born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor.
Life and career
Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zuk ...
,
Hilary Hahn
Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist. She has performed throughout the world as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors and as a recitalist. She is an avid supporter of contemporary classical music, and several ...
and
Akiko Suwanai
is a Japanese classical violinist.
At the age of 18, she became the youngest winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990. In addition, she was awarded second prize in the Paganini Competition in 1988 and Queen Elisabeth Competi ...
, cellists
Mstislav Rostropovich and
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...
, pianists
Nobuyuki Tsujii,
Ruth Slenczynska,
Tatiana Nikolayeva
Tatiana Petrovna Nikolayeva (russian: Татья́на Петро́вна Никола́ева, ''Tat'jana Petrovna Nikolajeva''; May 4, 1924November 22, 1993) was a pianist, composer, and teacher from the Soviet Union.
Life
Nikolayeva was born ...
,
Fou Ts'ong
Fou Ts'ong (; 10 March 1934 – 28 December 2020) was a Chinese-born British pianist who was the first pianist of his national origin to achieve international recognition. He came to prominence after winning third prize and the Polish Radio Prize ...
and
Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductors
Simon Rattle,
Günther Herbig,
Mei-Ann Chen,
Sergiu Celibidache
Sergiu Celibidache (; 14 August 1996) was a Romanian conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over five decades, including tenures ...
,
Michael Tilson Thomas,
Apo Hsu
Apo Hsu or Hsu Ching-hsin () is a conductor born in Taiwan and resident of both Taiwan and the United States. Hsu served as music director of the National Taiwan Normal University Symphony Orchestra and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra in Spr ...
,
Helmuth Rilling
Helmuth Rilling (born 29 May 1933) is a German choral conductor and an academic teacher. He is the founder of the Gächinger Kantorei (1954), the Bach-Collegium Stuttgart (1965), the Oregon Bach Festival (1970),
the Internationale Bachakademie ...
and
Lorin Maazel.
American virtuoso organist
John Walker has frequently performed at the Concert Hall, beginning in 1992. Since then, he has played both as soloist and with various orchestras, including Taiwan's
National Symphony Orchestra.
Ensembles appearing at the Hall include the
Juilliard String Quartet, the
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra ( nl, Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, based at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). Considered one of the world's leading orchestras, Queen Beatrix conferred the " ...
of
Amsterdam, the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
The Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; german: Wiener Philharmoniker, links=no) is an orchestra that was founded in 1842 and is considered to be one of the finest in the world.
The Vienna Philharmonic is based at the Musikverein in Vienna, Austria. Its ...
, the
Czech Philharmonic, the
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
The Berlin Philharmonic (german: Berliner Philharmoniker, links=no, italic=no) is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world.
History
The Berlin Philharmonic was f ...
, the
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra
The Munich Philharmonic (german: Münchner Philharmoniker, links=no) is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Rad ...
, the
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
The San Francisco Symphony (SFS), founded in 1911, is an American orchestra based in San Francisco, California. Since 1980 the orchestra has been resident at the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall in the city's Hayes Valley neighborhood. The San F ...
, the
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra () is a symphony orchestra in Shanghai, China. Its music director is Yu Long.
Founded in 1879, the SSO is the oldest Chinese symphony orchestra. Originally, it was known as the Shanghai Public Band, expanding in 1 ...
and the
Vienna Boys Choir
The Vienna Boys' Choir (german: Wiener Sängerknaben) is a choir of boy sopranos and altos based in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the best known boys' choirs in the world. The boys are selected mainly from Austria, but also from many other countr ...
.
Concerts by visiting orchestras are often broadcast to overflow crowds numbering in the thousands who fill the Square. Professional Taiwanese ensembles that regularly appear in the hall include the National Symphony Orchestra, the
Taipei Symphony Orchestra, the
National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra
The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra (NTSO; ), founded in 1945, is the oldest symphony orchestra in Taiwan. It is based in Wufeng, Taichung.
Conductors Principle Guest Conductor
* Lan Shui (首席客席指揮:水藍), 2019-present
Past ...
, the
Evergreen Symphony Orchestra, the
Taipei Chinese Orchestra, the Taiwan National Choir, the Formosa Singers, and the
Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus.
Artistic styles and traditions from across the world are represented in the halls' events, including
kabuki
is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.
Kabuki is though ...
theater,
Shakespearean drama
Shakespeare's plays are a canon of approximately 39 dramatic works written by English poet, playwright, and actor William Shakespeare. The exact number of plays—as well as their classifications as tragedy, history, comedy, or otherwise—is a ...
,
Taiwanese opera
Taiwanese opera () commonly known as Ke-Tse opera or Hokkien opera, is a form of traditional drama originating in Taiwan. Taiwanese opera uses a stylised combination of both the literary and colloquial registers of Taiwanese Hokkien. Its earliest ...
and puppet drama,
Verdi opera,
African dance,
Beijing opera,
Broadway shows,
Wagnerian music drama, American
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
, Parisian comic opera, and Latin dance. Both venues are the site of a variety of festivals and special events, including the Taipei International Arts Festival, a series of International Arts Festivals ("Call Out in Ecstacy", "Poetic Essays with Lively Meanings"), the British Theatre Festival, the Chinese Drama Festival, and the
Taipei Film Festival
The Taipei Film Festival (TFF; ) is a film festival promoted by the city of Taipei, Taiwan, through the Department of Cultural Affairs of the Taipei City Government. It was first held in 1998, from September 28 to October 5.
Currently chaired by ...
. The buildings regularly provide a backdrop to outdoor events on
Liberty Square, including visits to Taiwan by foreign leaders and the annua
Taipei Lantern Festival
The Classic 20 festival in 2007-2008 commemorated the twentieth anniversary of the halls. The festival season featured visits by
Tadashi Suzuki,
Philip Glass,
Robert Wilson, the
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the
Deutsche Oper am Rhein
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein (German Opera on the Rhine) is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company. Axel Kober has been its Music Director since 2009. The resident orchestra, t ...
as well as the Cloud Gate Dance Theater,
Yang Li-hua Taiwanese Opera (), Performance Workshop Theater () and New-Classic Dance Company ().
Nomenclature
The standard abbreviation ''NTCH'' (National Theater and Concert Hall) refers to the Cultural Center in its entirety. ''NCH'' (National Concert Hall) refers to the concert hall alone.
See also
*
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, also known as Weiwuying, (), is located in Fengshan District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan and has been acknowledged as the largest performance arts center under one roof in the world while owning the largest pipe org ...
*
National Taichung Theater
References
External links
*
''Taiwan Yearbook:'' Culture
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Theater And Concert Hall, Taipei
Buildings and structures completed in 1987
1987 establishments in Taiwan
Theatres completed in 1987
Culture in Taipei
Buildings and structures in Taipei
Tourist attractions in Taipei
Theatres in Taiwan
Concert halls in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
Music venues completed in 1987
Opera houses in Taiwan