The Qingdao Municipal Opera and Dance Drama Theater, formerly known as the Qingdao Song and Dance Ensemble, was founded on July 1, 1960. In 1994, it was expanded into the theater consisting of a song and dance ensemble, a symphony orchestra, and a folk art performing troupe as well as a chorus.

In the 1960s, it staged operas such as Red Sun over Keshan Mountain, The Third Sister Liu, Sister Jiang and a Western opera A Peddler and the Young Lady. In the 1970s, it staged ballet dramas The Red Detachment of Women, White-haired Girl, Ode to the Yimeng Mountain and Descendants of the Steppe; National dance drama The Dagger Society and Butterfly Flower as well as ballet drama Coppelia. In the 1980s, it staged many programs with various styles such as Flying Goddess, Abduction, Snake Dance, A Spanish Matador, Japanese Folk Dance, Farmer and Snake, West Asian Dance, A Spanish Girl and Death of Swan. In the 1990s, the theater has staged the large-scale dance drama Fantasia of Confucius. The dance drama was enthusiastically received during the Shandong Art Festival and the International Symposium on Confucius in Qufu. The theater's symphony orchestra has performed the violin concerto Butterfly Lovers, Beethoven's Symphonies (No. I, III, VI, V and VII) as well as many well-known music pieces by Brahms, Dvorak and Chaikovshy. In 1996, in collaboration with the famous conductors Bian Zushan and Zheng Xiaoying, the orchestra made a music documentary about Beethoven's life for CCTV, which was warmly received by audiences nationwide.

In recent years, the theater has visited Mexico, Japan and other countries as a cultural ambassador and has been highly praised.

Its leading artists include Gong Zhengbang, Zhi Shuchun, Tai Jihuai, Geng Diansheng and Pan Guicai.

Website:  www.qdmusic.com.cn

Address: No.15, Xinganlu Road, North District, Qingdao, Shandong Province

Post code: 266012

Tel: (0532) 82714967   82711348

Fax: (0532) 82714673    82735669