Nestled in the Ehrenhof Complex designed by Wilhelm Kreis, it is in contact with the Kunstpalast Museum and the Düsseldorf Academy of Arts, was transformed from the sturdy building with brick facade and dominant dome into the concert hall of the Rheinhalle in the 1970s. After that, the conversion to the center of concert music took place – a merit of the architect Helmut Hentrich. It was essential in the planning to preserve the facade, the green vault (showplace for the exquisite Hentrich glass collection), as well as the dome, expressionist rotunda, and the artistic and sculptural decorative elements.
The center is formed by the elegantly warm-toned concert hall with 1850 seats. Its acoustic problems were solved after another intervention: The acoustics are grand thanks to sophisticated sound deflection. Visually, a modernizing brightening was carried out in 2005, so that the Tonhalle is once again what it originally was: A “planetarium of music,” offering more than 200 concerts per year and reaching far beyond 200,000 spectators. Not least among them are young listeners, thanks to new tones and avenues such as the program series “Milky Way.” The Tonhalle is home to the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, which consists of 130 musicians. The traditional ensemble has engaged prominent principal conductors since 1945, including Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Bernhard Klee, David Shallon, John Fiore, and Andrey Boreyko.
