The Shanghai Concert Hall has been renamed the Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall, marking a new era for the venue and the first time that Sennheiser has put its name to a performance centre. This news accompanies the formation of Sennheiser-owned record label, Sennheiser Media.

The Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall was the first professional concert hall to open in China, with the aim to become a new platform for the development and promotion of arts and music – both in Shanghai and more broadly throughout the rest of China.

The development is a result of the longstanding relationship between Sennheiser and the Shanghai Concert Hall, and will see Sennheiser providing theatre and sound equipment for the venue, as well as designing a central audio recording control system. The installation will include 9000 series microphones and wireless systems, while an official Sennheiser music store will open within the venue to sell a variety of consumer headphones.

Sennheiser CEO Daniel Sennheiser and President of Sennheiser, Greater China Marc Vincent, President joined Shanghai Grand Theatre Arts Center President Zhang Zhe and, Shanghai Concert Hall Deputy General Manager Fang Jing at an official renaming ceremony, where 14-year-old Chinese musical prodigy A-Bu – the Sennheiser Media label’s first signing – launch A-his debut album. ‘This collaboration is an important milestone in our continuous pursuit of perfection and it’s a privilege to be here in China,’ says Daniel Sennheiser.

The Shanghai Concert Hall hosts a wide range of musical events, including jazz and classical performances, and a team has been set up to maintain the equipment that will serve them. Sennheiser will also provide regular workshops for the technical team at the concert hall.

This cooperation also ensures audiences that the Shanghai Concert Hall will provide charity events and free showcases to promote music and the arts. Shanghai Concert Hall officials also confirm that ticket prices will be maintained and managed appropriately to benefit the general public.

‘This year is the beginning of the second decade following our relocation to this venue,’ says Zhang Zhe. ‘To join hands with Sennheiser provides a lot of possibilities for future development for the concert hall. We believe that this cooperation will bring about a huge impact on the development of music culture in Shanghai.’

The plans include a commitment to set up a world-class recording studio inside the Shanghai Concert Hall, scheduled for completion in 2015. Once the facility is ready, the Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall will introduce a new project called Young Talent Inspires to help young up-and-coming artists to record albums and promote them through Sennheiser’s global network.

‘Sennheiser has supported many art and music related events in China, such as the MIDI Music Festival, Storm Music Festival, Shanghai JZ Festival and other notable events. This title sponsorship is the first cooperation between a public institution and a business organization in China and it is going to be a great one,’ said a representative from the Shanghai Concert Hall.