World’s Great Concert Hall and opera Houses
Are you an avid classical music listener, then you must have probably been to many live performances? However, have you ever experienced a concert in one of the world’s most iconic or historic venues?
From New York to Sydney, concert halls and opera houses are landmarks of many great cities. They are not only known for their great musical staging but also for their architectural opulence.
They not only offer a very memorable theatrical experience but also attract millions of tourists from all corners of the world.
From New York Met to the Sydney Opera House, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, London Royal Albert Hall, Carnegie Hall, and Hungarian State Opera House is outstanding music venues to enjoy performing arts and music.
Take a look at some stunning concert halls and opera houses from around the world.
Read on to learn about the world’s great concert halls and opera houses.
World’s Great Concert Halls and Opera Houses
There are numerous concert halls and opera houses worldwide, and they all have fascinating cultural buildings and unique atmospheres with great acoustics.
From that, the following listed, in our opinion, are the world’s most outstanding music venues.
Let’s check out the world’s stunning concert halls and opera houses.
1. Metropolitan Opera House, New York
With a capable 3995 seats, the Metropolitan Opera House sets the world record for the best and largest opera house.
It was designed by the architects Wallace Harrison and Max Abramovitz. This opera house is home to the New York City ballet, opera, and philharmonic.
Fondly known as ‘The Met’, it was built on 39th Street in 1833. Since it did not have enough stage facilities, later the new Metropolitan Opera House officially opened on 16 September 1966 at Lincoln Center.
The Met has always cultivated its reputation for excellence by inviting the world’s best artists to the stage, including Mahler, Toscanini, Gigli, Thill, Pinza, and many more.
2. Sydney Opera House, Australia
Did you know Sydney Opera House is one of the most-photographed buildings in the world?
It has the unique use of a series of gleaming white sail-shaped concrete shells in its roof structure
Completed in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has turned out to be one of the world’s iconic buildings. It even became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
It is a multi-venue performing arts center that hosts no less than 1,500 performances yearly and has 1.2 million people attending.
This opera house is a multipurpose performing art facility whose largest venue, the 2,679 seats Concert Hall, hosts symphony concerts, chamber orchestras, solo classical performers, choir performances, and popular music shows.
The Concert Hall is also regularly used for contemporary music concerts, jazz, variety shows, dance, films, seminars, and conferences requiring amplification.
You can tour the venue’s stages, discover stories about its design and events, and even watch the shows.
3. National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China
National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) is also called Giant Egg due to its structure, is located in the heart of Beijing, between Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, and the Forbidden City.
Still, its simple beauty was too perfect to be disclosed, and the inaugural concert took place in 2007.
The building is a huge dome made of glass and titanium constructed as an ellipse. It rises over the artificial lake and is 46 meters tall.
To allow each audience to enjoy each performance fully and comfortably, NCPA has made three theatres with total floor areas of 217,500 square meters.
· The Opera House: It has 2091 seats plus standing room, and elaborate operas, dance, drama, and ballet are staged here.
· The Concert Hall: It has 957 seats where traditional Chinese opera, plays, and dances are performed.
· The Theatre: It has 1859 seats with a good view where large symphonies and traditional Chinese music are performed.
It upholds the criteria for high-quality and high-standard Chinese and foreign classic arts, operating all projects from the viewpoints of both artistic standard and market value.
It offers a plethora of art categories, including opera, music, dance, drama, and traditional Chinese opera, to satisfy the people’s ever-growing demand for a better life.
Not only that, but it also serves as a platform for international stage art exchanges, technical rehearsals, high-art performances, and art education and provides services for warehousing and accommodation.
Make sure to catch a variety of shows when you are there.
4. Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Japan
Contained within the 54-floor tall, Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall is one of the most renowned examples of excellent acoustics.
This hall opened in 1997 and, along with the New National Theater, is part of a cultural complex in Shinjuku, Tokyo.
The Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall looks like a rectangular space when viewed from a balcony, shaped like a giant distorted pyramid covered in complex wooden grooves.
Auditoria of this shape are quite rare but have an excellent and uniform distribution of acoustics.
· The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Symphonic Orchestra frequently use this venue.
· Yo-Yo Ma, an American cellist, is among the numerous well-known performers who have performed here. Even music critics frequently appreciate the clarity and warmth of the sound within the space.
· It hosts ballet and large-scale operatic shows like Carmen, while the Pit and Playhouse stages provide dance and more personal dramatic pieces. A gallery of art is also housed within site.
If you are fortunate enough to catch a concert here, you can experience near pitch-perfect sound.
The Opera City Concert Hall has a massive pipe organ. Visit here for details and tickets.
5. London Royal Albert Hall, London
The Royal Albert Hall is one of the most famous concert halls in the world and undoubtedly the most famous in the United Kingdom.
Located in the heart of South Kensington, London, this multifunctional culture palace hosts everything from the symphony orchestra to rock musicals.
Francis Fowke and H.Y. Darracott Scott designed its architecture, inspired by Roman amphitheaters.
Its distinctive exteriors are built from over 6 million red bricks. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone.
· Its stage has been taken by artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Coldplay, Stereophonics, Frank Sinatra, Dian Ross, and BB King.
· So much more than music, the Miss World pageant was held here for 20 years.
· Similarly, the most important film screenings, such as the world premiere of the Bond films Die Another Day- 2002 and Skyfall- 2012, were attended by Queen Elizabeth or the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall.
To learn all the ins and outs of this place, book a guided tour.
This one-hour Grand Tour takes you through the entire concert hall, including the impressive grand hall and the ‘Royal Retiring Room’, the Queen’s private room.
6. Carnegie Hall in New York, USA
Carnegie Hall in Midtown Manhattan is a prominent location for both classical and popular music concerts. It has gathered a history of impressive performances since its first opening in 1891.
Andrew Carnegie funded it, and it has three performance spaces.
· The Isaac Stern Auditorium: It hosts opera, jazz, and folk greats.
· Zankel Hall: It hosts edgier jazz, pop, classical, and world music.
· Weill Recital Hall: It hosts chamber music, debut performances, and panel discussions.
It also hosts gala, movie screenings, and big-name comedians.
Since its opening date, Carnegie Hall has set the international standard for musical excellence as the aspirational destination for the world’s finest artists.
An honor roll of musical artists representing the best of every genre has performed at Carnegie Hall over the years, including Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tchaikovsky, Dvoák, Mahler, Bartók, George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, and Judy Garland.
7. Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest, Hungary
The Hungarian State Opera House opened its door to the public in 1884.
Since then, it has enjoyed unbroken popularity, which is no wonder as it has set the bar very high in terms of acoustics and visuals.
This opera house holds its absolute leading position in Hungarian theatrical life and is one of the world’s greatest centers of integrated arts.
· The opera house seats 1,260 people, 1,300 with extra seats, and an average attendance of 90%.
· The building boasts the statues of great composers like Franz Liszt, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Verdi.
· The level of acoustics is outstanding even by European standards, and one of the greatest architects in Hungarian history, Miklos Ybl, was responsible for the construction.
· Surrounded by splendor, all perfectly aligned to the elevated atmospheres of The Nutcracker, Bank Ban, or Aida.
Although in terms of capacity and size, the theatre is not among the largest opera houses, but in terms of acoustics quality and beauty, it is considered one of the best opera houses in the world.
Book your tickets online for guided tours to the Hungarian State Opera House.
Conclusion
Attending a concert at one of the most renowned concert halls in the world will undoubtedly be an unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime experience.
If you plan to visit one of these venues, you won’t regret it.
Get in touch with Rick Perdian, Music Travel Consultant in the USA, for more information.
