Secret Garden is back in Shanghai for their 30th anniversary concert—yep, the duo behind You Raise Me Up and that dreamy Eurovision-winning Nocturne. Expect soaring violin, piano ballads, and vibes that’ll make you want to stare out the window and feel things. They’re playing one night only at the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, so if you’re into chill, emotional, kinda magical music, don’t miss it.

The melodies you know and love—live on stage

Formed by Norwegian composer-pianist Rolf Løvland and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry, Secret Garden first gained global recognition when they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1995 with their now-iconic composition Nocturne. The track—closer to an instrumental piece than a traditional pop song—broke boundaries as the only instrumental-style entry to ever win in the competition's history.

Critics praised it as “a redefining moment” for Eurovision, saying Secret Garden had introduced a completely new sound to a stage dominated by European pop.

Since then, Secret Garden has released 15 original albums and become one of the best-selling acts under Universal's classical and jazz labels. They've earned over 120 platinum awards, sold more than 6 million physical albums, and racked up over 8.5 billion streams globally. Their music even spent an incredible 311 weeks on the Billboard New Age charts.

Their 2001 hit You Raise Me Up became a worldwide anthem, covered by more than 1,000 artists, including Josh Groban, Westlife, and Il Divo. It remains one of the most recorded songs of the century.

Heavenly sounds that speak straight to the heart

Secret Garden’s signature sound blends the ethereal beauty of Irish folk with Norwegian classical traditions—gentle, melodic, and deeply emotional. The duo says their music is “about telling stories through melody—most of the time without words. It’s personal, intuitive, and not bound to any one genre.”

To celebrate three decades of music, Secret Garden is returning to the Shanghai Oriental Art Center for a special anniversary concert. Joining them are longtime collaborators Cathrine Iversen and Espen Grjotheim, lending their vocals to some of the duo’s most beloved tracks—from early classics like Nocturne, Heartstrings, and Hymn to Hope, to newer works like Lullaby for Grown-ups and Fionnuala’s Violin.

Meet the Artists

Rolf Løvland – Piano & Composer

Hailing from the small southern Norwegian town of Kristiansand, Rolf Løvland showed musical promise early, forming his first band at age nine. He later earned a master’s degree in music from the Norwegian Academy of Music and quickly became known as one of Norway’s most successful songwriters, topping local charts over 60 times.

Fionnuala Sherry – Violin

Born into a musical family in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, Fionnuala picked up the violin at age eight and moved to Dublin at 15 to pursue formal studies. She graduated with honors from Trinity College and the Dublin College of Music before joining the RTÉ Concert Orchestra for ten years.

Beyond the classical world, Fionnuala has worked across genres with artists like The Chieftains, Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison, Bono, Chris de Burgh, and Wet Wet Wet. She's also contributed to numerous Hollywood film scores with the Irish Film Orchestra, including The River Wild, A Room with a View, and The Mask.

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• Live Music