National Theater And Concert Hall, Taipei
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The National Theater Hall ( zh, t=國家戲劇院 , poj=Kok-ka Hì-kio̍k-īⁿ , p=Guójiā Xìjù Yuàn) and National Concert Hall ( zh, t=國家音樂廳 , p=Guójiā Yīnyuè Tīng, poj=Kok-ka Im-ga̍k-thiaⁿ, labels=yes), or together the National Theater and Concert Hall (NTCH; zh, t=國家兩廳院), are twin
performing arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
venues at Liberty Square in
Zhongzheng District Zhongzheng District (also Jhongjheng District) is a District (Taiwan), district in Taipei, Taiwan. Taipei Main Station is located in the district. It is home to most of the national government buildings of Taiwan. Overview The district is n ...
,
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
,
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. Completed in 1987, the landmarks stand on the south and north sides of the square with
Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall ( zh, t=中正紀念堂, p=zhōngzhèng jìniàntáng, poj=Tiong-chèng-kí-liām-tn̂g) is a national monument and tourist attraction erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of C ...
to the east. The square itself sits near
Ketagalan Boulevard Ketagalan Boulevard () is an arterial road in Zhongzheng District in Taipei, Taiwan, between the Presidential Office Building and the East Gate (東門). It is long and has five lanes in each direction with no median. History The former nam ...
, site of the Presidential Office Building, the
National Central Library The National Central Library (NCL; ) is the national library of Taiwan, located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. It will soon have a subsidiary called Southern Branch of the National Central Library & National Repository Library. Mission T ...
, the
National Taiwan Museum The National Taiwan Museum (NTM; ), established in 1908, is the oldest museum in Taiwan. It was founded by the colonial government during Taiwan's period of Japanese rule. The museum is located in Zhongzheng District, Taipei. History Establis ...
, and the
228 Peace Memorial Park The 228 Peace Memorial Park () is a historic site and municipal park located at 3 Ketagalan Boulevard, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan. The park contains memorials to victims of the February 28 Incident of 1947, including the 228 Memo ...
.


History

The National Theater Hall and National Concert Hall are two of the first major modern performing arts facilities to be established in
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
. Upon the death of Chiang Kai-shek in 1975, the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
government authorized the construction of a monument and cultural arts facilities on the grounds of a memorial plaza. The project cost TWD 7.4 billion. Yang Cho-cheng 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 lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and
Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...
, based in
The Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, played leading roles in the design of the interior facilities, stage lighting and acoustics. Civil engineering issues were handled by ,
Veterans Affairs Council The Veterans Affairs Council (VAC; ) is a branch of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (Taiwan) with "responsibilities to assist in education assistance, employment assistance, medical care, home care and other general services" for retir ...
. Six directors oversaw the project from initial planning sessions to final completion: Jou Tsuo-Min, Chang Chih-liang,
Liu Feng-shueh Liu Feng-shueh (1925 – 17 May 2023) was a Taiwanese dance choreographer known for her research and numerous works. Family and early life Liu Feng-shueh was born in 1925 in China. As a child she studied ballet. Career In the 1950s she began ...
, 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 Lee Teng-hui (; pinyin: ''Lǐ Dēnghuī''; 15 January 192330 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician and agricultural scientist who served as the fourth president of the Republic of China, president of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) unde ...
and Premier
Yu Kuo-hua Yu Kuo-hwa (; January 10, 1914 – October 4, 2000) was a Taiwanese economist who served as the Premier of the Republic of China from 1984 to 1989. Biography Yu was born on 10 January 1914 in Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. After graduatin ...
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 , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
. 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 Lee Teng-hui (; pinyin: ''Lǐ Dēnghuī''; 15 January 192330 July 2020) was a Taiwanese politician and agricultural scientist who served as the fourth president of the Republic of China, president of the Taiwan, Republic of China (Taiwan) unde ...
, 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 national-level Chinese orchestra of Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Form ...
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 a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
of the UK,
Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet and Russian politician who served as the last leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...
of the
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
,
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
of
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
,
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 Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
and former First Lady
Betty Ford Elizabeth Anne Ford (; formerly Warren; April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011) was 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 politi ...
of the
U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...


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 Cloud Gate Dance Theatre () is a modern dance group based in Taiwan. It was founded by choreographer Lin Hwai-min in 1973, and later he shared its management with his late protégé, choreographer Lo Man-fei. The troupe was inactive from Octobe ...
, The
Kirov Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet () is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...
, the Suzuki Company of Toga and its director
Tadashi Suzuki is a Japanese avant-garde theatre director, writer, and philosopher. He is the founder and director of the Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT), and organizer of Japan’s first international theatre festival (Toga Festival). With American director ...
, 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 several films. Life and career Born in 1950, Shin'ichi Morita was adopte ...
, stage director Robert Wilson, and dancers
Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer, teacher and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped the dance world and is still taught in academies worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over s ...
,
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 Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all ...
,
Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylised blend of dance move ...
,
Trisha Brown Trisha Brown (November 25, 1936 – March 18, 2017) was an American choreographer and dancer, and one of the founders of the Judson Dance Theater and the postmodern dance movement. Brown’s dance/movement method, with which she and her danc ...
, Liu Feng-hsueh,
Lin Hwai-min Lin Hwai-min (; born 19 February 1947) is a Taiwanese dancer, writer, choreographer, and founder of Cloud Gate Dance Theater of Taiwan. Biography Family Lin was born in Xingang, Chiayi. He came from an intellectual family. His great-grandfathe ...
, Lo Man-fei, Yu Hao-yen and Liu Shao-lu. International performers in the National Concert Hall have included composers
Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
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 did not limit herself to that voice type. A commanding presence on operatic, concert ...
,
Barbara Hendricks Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American lyric soprano and humanitarian. Born in Arkansas, Hendricks studied chemistry and mathematics at the University of Nebraska before becoming a singer. She gained acclaim for her operatic r ...
and
Mirella Freni Mirella Freni (born Mirella Fregni, 27February 19359February 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 Glyndebourne Festiva ...
, tenors
Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...
,
José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras Coll (; born 5 December 1946), better known as José Carreras (, ), is a Catalan operatic tenor from Spain who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, ...
and
Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...
, baritone
Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...
, violinists
Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman (; 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 Zukerman. He began his musica ...
,
Hilary Hahn Hilary Hahn (born November 27, 1979) is an American violinist. A three-time Grammy Award winner, she has performed throughout the world as a soloist with leading orchestras and conductors, and as a recitalist. She is an avid supporter of contemp ...
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 Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich (27 March 192727 April 2007) was a Russian Cello, cellist and conducting, conductor. In addition to his interpretations and technique, he was well known for both inspiring and commissioning new works, which enl ...
and
Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a French-born American Cello, cellist. Born to Chinese people, Chinese parents in Paris, he was regarded as a child prodigy there and began to study the cello with his father at age four. At the age of seven, ...
, pianists Pi-hsien Chen,
Nobuyuki Tsujii (also known as Nobu Tsujii) is a Japanese pianist and composer. He was born Blindness, blind due to microphthalmia. Tsujii performs extensively, with a large number of conductors and orchestras, and has received critical acclaim for his unique t ...
,
Ruth Slenczynska Ruth Slenczynska (born January 15, 1925) is an American classical pianist. Early life Slenczynska was born in Sacramento, California. Her Polish father, Joseph Slenczynski (Józef Ślenczyński), was a violinist. Pushed by her father and startin ...
,
Tatiana Nikolayeva Tatiana Petrovna Nikolayeva (; May 4, 1924November 22, 1993) was a Soviet and Russian pianist, composer, and teacher. Life Nikolayeva was born in Bezhitsa, in the Bryansk Oblast, Bryansk district, on May 4, 1924. Her mother was a professional p ...
,
Fou Ts'ong Fou Ts'ong (; 10 March 1934 – 28 December 2020) was a Chinese and 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 Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazy (, ''Vladimir Davidovich Ashkenazi''; born 6 July 1937) is a Soviet-born Icelandic pianist, chamber music performer, and conductor. Ashkenazy has collaborated with well-known orchestras and soloists. In addition, ...
, conductors
Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British conductor with German citizenship. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rat ...
,
Günther Herbig Günther Herbig (born 30 November 1931) is a German conductor. Born in Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, Herbig studied conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy in Weimar in 1951 (then in East Germany) with Hermann Abendroth. He later was a stude ...
, Mei-Ann Chen,
Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache (; ; 13 August 1996) was a Romanian people, Romanian Conducting, conductor, composer, musical theorist, and teacher. Educated in his native Romania, and later in Paris and Berlin, Celibidache's career in music spanned over fi ...
,
Michael Tilson Thomas Michael Tilson Thomas (born December 21, 1944) is an American conductor, pianist, and composer. He is Artistic Director Laureate of the New World Symphony, an American orchestral academy in Miami Beach, Florida, Music Director Laureate of the S ...
, Apo Hsu,
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 Bachakade ...
and
Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel (; March 6, 1930 – July 13, 2014) was an American conductor, violinist and composer. He began conducting at the age of eight and by 1953 had decided to pursue a career in music. He had established a reputation in t ...
. 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 The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1930 by cellist Hans Kindler, its principal performing venue is the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The NSO regularly ...
. Ensembles appearing at the Hall include the
Juilliard String Quartet The Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) is a classical music string quartet founded in 1946 at the Juilliard School in New York by William Schuman and Robert Mann. Since its inception, it has been the quartet-in-residence at the Juilliard School. ...
, the
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (, ) is a Dutch symphony orchestra, established in 1888 at the Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw (concert hall). It is considered one of the world's leading orchestras. It was known as the Concertgebouw Orchestra u ...
of
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, the
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Vienna Philharmonic (VPO; ) 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 members are selected from the orchestra of ...
, the
Czech Philharmonic The Czech Philharmonic () is a symphony orchestra based in Prague. Its principal performing venue is the Rudolfinum concert hall. History The name "Czech Philharmonic Orchestra" appeared for the first time in 1894, as the title of the orche ...
, the
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra The Berlin Philharmonic () is a German orchestra based in Berlin. It is one of the most popular, acclaimed and well-respected orchestras in the world. Throughout the 20th century, the orchestra was led by conductors Wilhelm Furtwängler (1922 ...
, the
Munich Philharmonic Orchestra The Munich Philharmonic () 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 Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orches ...
, the
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (, BRSO) is a German radio orchestra. Based in Munich, Germany, it is one of the city's four orchestras. The BRSO is one of two full-size symphony orchestras operated under the auspices of Bayerischer Rundf ...
, the
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra The San Francisco Symphony, 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 Franci ...
, the
Shanghai Symphony Orchestra The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra () is a symphony orchestra in Shanghai, China. Its music director is Long Yu. Founded in 1879, the SSO is the oldest List of symphony orchestras#China, Chinese symphony orchestra. Originally, it was known as the ...
and the
Vienna Boys Choir The Vienna Boys' Choir () 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 countries. The choir is a private ...
. 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 Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO, ), founded in 1969, is one of the leading orchestras based in Taipei, Taiwan. TSO works with European music directors and conductors, such as Reinhard Goebel, Martin Fischer-Dieskau, and Maurice Steger. O ...
, 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 District, Wufeng, Taichung. Conductors Principal Guest Conductor * Lan Shui (首席客席指揮:水藍), 201 ...
, the
Evergreen Symphony Orchestra The Evergreen Symphony Orchestra (ESO; ) is a Taiwanese orchestra founded by the of Evergreen Group in 2001. The orchestra is featured by bringing up talented Taiwanese players and promoting Taiwanese folk music. Two of the many performances of ...
, the
Taipei Chinese Orchestra The Taipei Chinese Orchestra (TCO; ) is a Chinese orchestra based in Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan, as the first professional ensemble of its kind in Taiwan. History In 1979, Taipei Chinese Orchestra was founded by Taipei City Government. ...
, 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 Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...
theater,
Shakespearean drama Shakespeare's plays are a canon of approximately 39 dramatic works written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare. The exact number of plays as well as their classifications as tragedy, history, comedy, or otherwise is a matter o ...
,
Taiwanese opera Taiwanese opera ( zh, t=, p=gēzǎixì, poj=koa-á-hì, l=Song Drama, c=, s=) 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 puppet drama, Verdi opera,
African dance African dance (also Afro dance, Afrodance and Afro-dance) refers to the various dance styles of sub-Saharan Africa. These dances are closely connected with the traditional rhythms and music traditions of the region. Music and dancing is an int ...
,
Beijing opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became ...
,
Broadway shows Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...
, 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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, 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 Ecstasy", "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 is a Japanese avant-garde theatre director, writer, and philosopher. He is the founder and director of the Suzuki Company of Toga (SCOT), and organizer of Japan’s first international theatre festival (Toga Festival). With American director ...
,
Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
, Robert Wilson, the
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (, BRSO) is a German radio orchestra. Based in Munich, Germany, it is one of the city's four orchestras. The BRSO is one of two full-size symphony orchestras operated under the auspices of Bayerischer Rundf ...
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 Yang Li-hua () is a Taiwanese opera performer. During her career, she performed in nearly 170 productions on TTV. Unusually for Chinese opera, she played a wide variety of male roles. Early life Yang was born in Yuanshan, Yilan, Yuanshan, Yi ...
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. It is the largest cultural facility in Taiwan, the world's largest performing art theater under one roof, and the first nat ...
*
National Taichung Theater The National Taichung Theater () is an opera house in the Taichung's 7th Redevelopment Zone in the Xitun District of Taichung, Taiwan. The estimated area of the structure is . It was designed by Japanese architect Toyo Ito in collaboration with ...


References


External links

*
''Taiwan Yearbook:'' Culture
{{Authority control, additional=Q10926810,Q10926831 Music venues completed in 1987 1987 establishments in Taiwan Theatres completed in 1987 Performing arts in Taiwan 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. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
Opera houses in Taiwan