Shanghai Concert Hall raises curtain on new season

The 94-year-old Shanghai Concert Hall raised the curtain on its new season over the weekend with two nights of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Vasily Petrenko, featuring violinist Ray Chen.

The orchestra played "a program of connections," according to Petrenko. The program consists of masterpieces from different cultures, including British composer and conductor Benjamin Britten's "Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes," a suite from the opera "Mulan Psalm" by Guan Xia, and a suite from the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" by Tan Dun, as well as Austrian composer Erich Korngold who made his name in the Hollywood, and Russian master Dmitri Shostakovich.

"I hope this reminds us that classical music can unite us all," Petrenko said before going on stage.

Chen, who first came to attention when he won the Yehudi Menuhin (2008) and Queen Elizabeth (2009) competitions, has also garnered millions of views on social media platforms with his funny pictures and self-directed comedy videos.

"At first, I focused on my skills and performance, but gradually I realized it is not only about music, but also how people perceive and respond to it differently," he said before the concert.

"Audiences are different today. It is our responsibility to understand today's audience and their demands. So I changed my goal from becoming the greatest violinist to spreading my positive impact."

The concert also marked the 20th year since the concert hall was moved 66.46 meters southeast to make way for construction of the Yan'an Elevated Road. Considered a huge technical challenge at the time, it was the biggest news in the city in 2004 and set a precedent for the treatment of many historical buildings in China.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed the first concert after the relocation 20 years ago, still remembered by the city's classic music fans such as Liu Enhui.

Liu only started thinking about going to live concerts when he learned about the opening concert after the relocation, and failed to get a ticket.

"I still came to the concert hall that night, hoping for a last-minute cancelation and ticket sale from someone, and failed again," Liu recalled.

"I stood at the plaza outside the concert hall, and for a minute, thought I heard 'Symphony No. 1' by Tchaikovsky, the opening piece that night. I came back a week later for a concert at the relocated venue, and fell in love with live concerts of classic music and kept coming for 20 years now. So it's extra special for me tonight."