Tuesday 24 September 2013

Sydney Opera House Announces Full Line-up for Historic 40th Annoversary Concert

An exceptional line-up of Australian talent has been announced for the Sydney Opera House 40th Anniversary Concert on Sunday, 27 October, 2013.

Deborah Mailman, Baz Luhrmann, Sarah Blasko, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, John Butler, Megan Washington, Paul Grabowsky and members of the Wharf Revue are among the stars who will join the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, artists from Opera Australia and the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for the 40th Anniversary Concert.

The Concert will take place at twilight on the Opera House Forecourt, which will be returned to the people of Sydney for this historic event after three years of upgrades.

It will begin with an innovative welcome to country and close with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing the work that opened the Opera House in October 1973, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya and featuring soloists from Opera Australia and the vocal heft of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

The 40th Anniversary celebrations will draw on the Opera House’s extraordinary history and heritage, as Australia’s most famous building begins a decade of renewal.

Underlining the enduring links between Australia and Denmark first forged by the Opera House, Denmark’s Crown Prince Couple, HRH Crown Prince Frederik and HRH Crown Princess Mary, will be present at the Concert as Patrons of the Anniversary celebrations, along with the family of Opera House architect Jørn Utzon.

Sydney Opera House CEO, Louise Herron AM, said: “I am thrilled that the 40th Anniversary Concert will feature such a rich seam of Australian talent across art forms, genres and generations. The Opera House was established to help transform a young nation. The Anniversary Concert shows the vitality of Australian culture four decades on, as we embark on a decade of renewal to ensure the Opera House can continue transforming Australian life.”

The NSW Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Arts, George Souris, said the Sydney Opera House 40th anniversary concert provided a wonderful opportunity for the people of NSW to join in the celebrations honouring one of the world’s greatest performance spaces.

“Over the past 40 years, the Sydney Opera House has played an integral role in the cultural life of NSW and Australia,” Mr Souris said. “It is one of our nation’s most famous landmarks and a drawcard for visitors to Sydney from overseas and around Australia alike. I congratulate the Sydney Opera House on this significant milestone.”

To launch October’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, the Sydney Opera House is pleased to announce that it will premiere John Weiley’s long-lost 1968 film about the birth of Danish architect Jørn Utzon’s masterpiece, The Dream of Perfection, which has never been seen in this country.

Recently restored with the help of Opera House donors Catriona and Simon Mordant AM and Suzy and Phillip Wolanski AM, on behalf of the Wolanski Foundation, The Dream of Perfection will have its historic first screening in the Concert Hall on 17 October, ahead of its broadcast on ABC Television on 20 October.

Bookending the 40th Anniversary celebrations, a major celebration of Australian contemporary music will take place on the Forecourt in December.

To keep up to date with the calendar of events, please visit 40th anniversary website: http://40.sydneyoperahouse.com/

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