Grand Hall of St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic Society
Grand Hall of St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic Society
Grand Hall of St. Petersburg Academic Philharmonic Society
4.5
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Nevskiy
How to get there
- Nevsky Prospekt • 3 min walk
- Gostiny Dvor • 4 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
6,291 within 5 kms
Attractions
3,063 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
112 reviews
Excellent
85
Very good
17
Average
5
Poor
1
Terrible
4
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.
Marina and Co. Ltd
St. Petersburg, Russia85,570 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
On Sunday New Year’s Eve, I finally matched my husband’s visit to the Great Hall of the D.D. Shostakovich Academic Philharmonic to enjoy the concert “From the Repertoire of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.” Have you ever listened to amazing music and felt goosebumps? How does the cold run through the spine of your back? It happened to us at the Philharmonic, listening to the "live" vocals of Olga Abdullina and Denis Kuzmin accompanied by the Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra. The overall volume, acoustics and theme of the evening provided us with a colorful emotional experience.
Automatically translated
Written 13 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Vlad R
St. Petersburg, Russia5,407 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
The hall is historical, triumphal: a lot of light, very prestigious. The dressing rooms are small, which is why it’s a bit cramped, especially after the concert. The concert itself was also fascinating: Denis Matsuev worked wonders on the Steinway grand piano. We enjoyed the piano evening at the conservatory.
Written 29 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
🩶⚜️ 𝓝𝓪𝓽𝔂® ⚜️🩶
Moscow, Russia176,784 contributions
May 2023 • Couples
The building was built in 1834-1839. for the Assembly of the Nobility with funds allocated by the treasury.
The development project for this site was developed by the architect K. Rossi. The building was built on and reconstructed in 1899-1901. designed by V. Schröter by architect A. Maksimov. The building is a cultural heritage site of federal significance.
The development project for this site was developed by the architect K. Rossi. The building was built on and reconstructed in 1899-1901. designed by V. Schröter by architect A. Maksimov. The building is a cultural heritage site of federal significance.
Written 14 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MagisterRome
Rome, Italy97 contributions
Dec 2011
The Shostakovich Philarmonic Hall is one of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world to attend a musical performance. Its location could not be more central: you are right in the Arts Square, facing the Russian Museum and a few steps away from the Grand Hotel Europe (try to stay there if you can afford it!).
Before the Russian revolution, the place used to be a private club, home to the aristocracy of St. Petersburg. Funnily enough, you can still feel that sort of atmosphere, even if the place seems to have been renovated recently and everything is in pristine conditions.
Rather than the big, imposing foyer you would expect in an opera house, there are a series of medium-sized interconnecting rooms that create somehow a cosy, relaxing and intimate atmosphere. The walls are decorated with portraits and photographs of Russian musicians as well as contemporary artworks. In one of such rooms you can see the statue of the composer Dimitri Shostakovich himself - the author of the famous “Leningrad” symphony that was premiered right here during the siege of Leningrad in World War Two!
The auditorium itself is at the same time imposing and elegant: what you notice first are the big, white columns, then the spectacular chandeliers. The seats are very comfortable individual armchairs – as it is customary in Russian theatres.
The acoustics is very warm and full of resonance. Obviously the fact that the resident orchestra is the distinguished St. Petersburg Philharmonic makes you wonder whether such a beautiful sound is more the result of the quality of the players or of the intrinsic acoustics of the hall. But you realise soon that this is a rather stupid question to ask, and you get completely captivated by the performance…
I attended quite a few performances at this hall during my stay in St Petersburg, the best one being conducted by the orchestra’s Music Director Yuri Temirkanov – one of the greatest masters of our time. This performance alone was worth the trip to St. Petersburg!
Before the Russian revolution, the place used to be a private club, home to the aristocracy of St. Petersburg. Funnily enough, you can still feel that sort of atmosphere, even if the place seems to have been renovated recently and everything is in pristine conditions.
Rather than the big, imposing foyer you would expect in an opera house, there are a series of medium-sized interconnecting rooms that create somehow a cosy, relaxing and intimate atmosphere. The walls are decorated with portraits and photographs of Russian musicians as well as contemporary artworks. In one of such rooms you can see the statue of the composer Dimitri Shostakovich himself - the author of the famous “Leningrad” symphony that was premiered right here during the siege of Leningrad in World War Two!
The auditorium itself is at the same time imposing and elegant: what you notice first are the big, white columns, then the spectacular chandeliers. The seats are very comfortable individual armchairs – as it is customary in Russian theatres.
The acoustics is very warm and full of resonance. Obviously the fact that the resident orchestra is the distinguished St. Petersburg Philharmonic makes you wonder whether such a beautiful sound is more the result of the quality of the players or of the intrinsic acoustics of the hall. But you realise soon that this is a rather stupid question to ask, and you get completely captivated by the performance…
I attended quite a few performances at this hall during my stay in St Petersburg, the best one being conducted by the orchestra’s Music Director Yuri Temirkanov – one of the greatest masters of our time. This performance alone was worth the trip to St. Petersburg!
Written 2 March 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChristineAmsterdam
Amsterdam58 contributions
Jun 2014 • Friends
We heard a wonderful concert in this hall. The seats are uncomfortable and crammed together so you have little room. For the price of tickets they should do better. Avoid the restaurant downstairs in the theatre, it is overpriced and the food is very mediocre.
Written 28 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saranLondon
London, UK513 contributions
Apr 2013 • Family
the website is really unhelpful - neither the incredibly helpful staff on the Pushka Inn desk nor us could make it work. And if you book in person in Nevsky Prospect office, You get charged literally twice as much for being a foreigner.
But take a chance and turn up at the door. It's HUGE so you will often get tickets. And not a rip-off. But beware, it seems customary for young people to occupy good seats on spec, moving if you demonstrate its your seat - much gesticulating and pointing - but it seemed to happen to lots of people.
Music was mixed: we didnt hear the first team and they did seem to resent Beethoven and to be just going through the motions. Maybe they didnt rate the soloist But the Tchaikowsky in the second half was wonderful.
Now, the loos. this is a BIG hall. It seats thousands. They are more than half female (as every cultural event seems to be here). All those women are there for over two hours, have been cold outside and have bladders. Mostly full. But the management provides FIVE cubicles. We could find no others. So we failed beforehand and sat cross legged through the concerto. Then hot-footed it to the back....and blow me...it took the whole interval.
Sorry to bang on - but it does colour the experience.
But take a chance and turn up at the door. It's HUGE so you will often get tickets. And not a rip-off. But beware, it seems customary for young people to occupy good seats on spec, moving if you demonstrate its your seat - much gesticulating and pointing - but it seemed to happen to lots of people.
Music was mixed: we didnt hear the first team and they did seem to resent Beethoven and to be just going through the motions. Maybe they didnt rate the soloist But the Tchaikowsky in the second half was wonderful.
Now, the loos. this is a BIG hall. It seats thousands. They are more than half female (as every cultural event seems to be here). All those women are there for over two hours, have been cold outside and have bladders. Mostly full. But the management provides FIVE cubicles. We could find no others. So we failed beforehand and sat cross legged through the concerto. Then hot-footed it to the back....and blow me...it took the whole interval.
Sorry to bang on - but it does colour the experience.
Written 11 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
olympvba
Davis, CA34 contributions
Dec 2018
If you know what you want, this place is definitely for you. The hall is a home of two great symphonic orchestras.
Written 17 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isai P
Cosmo11 contributions
Most of children from good Leningrad's families spend hundreds of evenings in these walls.
This a big honour for any artist to perform on this scene. Especiallly if Master Temirkanov conducts.....
This a big honour for any artist to perform on this scene. Especiallly if Master Temirkanov conducts.....
Written 20 January 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leslie T
Fort Lauderdale, FL141 contributions
Jul 2016 • Friends
One of the most amazing symphonies I've been to in many years. The venue is beautiful. The music was awesome. Loved it!
Written 12 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MontfortOaks
Toronto, Canada551 contributions
May 2016 • Friends
I was first hesitate to do this as there aren't many reviews on TA. The Mikhailovsky didn't have any programs during our stay in St. Petersburg, so we decided to give this a try and weren't disappointed. The building itself doesn't look so grand from the outside, but once you step inside, it's beautiful. I don't think acoustic is as good as many modern concert halls in north America, but it felt intimate and like you went back in time.
Note that there are two orchestras performing at the Grand Hall: the more famous St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the little sister St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. We attended one by the latter and enjoyed the experience.
When you book the tickets, try to avoid the first 3 rows because the seats are too close to the podium and you wouldn't see the entire set of the musicians because you will be looking up. The seats on the side seem good too because you will sit higher up (the same level with the podium).
Check it out!
Note that there are two orchestras performing at the Grand Hall: the more famous St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and the little sister St.Petersburg Symphony Orchestra. We attended one by the latter and enjoyed the experience.
When you book the tickets, try to avoid the first 3 rows because the seats are too close to the podium and you wouldn't see the entire set of the musicians because you will be looking up. The seats on the side seem good too because you will sit higher up (the same level with the podium).
Check it out!
Written 22 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello. I would like to know if I can attend the New Year Eve Concert with kids 5 years old and 4 years old
Written 23 November 2019
Насколько хороша акустика, если билеты в ложе или на самых задних местах партера?
Written 9 January 2018
Showing results 1-3 of 3
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing