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Articles and stories from the Opera House community
The people who’ve shaped the Sydney Opera House
This icon has been shaped by many. Here are seven people who have had a lasting impact.
The story of Badu Gili
Meet the Indigenous artists bringing First Nations cultures to the world.
Tapestries at the House
The four tapestries that call the Opera House home reveal fascinating stories about the Opera House’s rich cultural heritage and design legacy.
The spherical solution
Jørn Utzon’s realisation that the form of the Sydney Opera House could be derived from the surface of a sphere marked a milestone in 20th century architecture.
Classical Music
Joshua Bell brings life or death virtuosity to the Sydney Opera House
Fireworks are guaranteed when the Academy of St Martin in the Fields meets the thrilling vitality of Mozart, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Bach and more in three exciting programmes led by the Academy’s Music Director, Grammy Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell, as part of the Sydney Opera House’s 50th Birthday Festival.
Under the Sails with the LSO
In our 50-year history, the Sydney Opera House has welcomed thousands of world-class performers to its halls. But no orchestra has as long and rich a shared history with the Opera House as the London Symphony Orchestra.
“Rebirth and resurrection”
Who better to help reopen the heart of the Opera House than William Barton? The celebrated Kalkadunga musician estimates he has played the venue over 300 times. This week, with clapsticks made from wood salvaged from the stage, he'll perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in a triumphant return to the Concert Hall.
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Contemporary Art & Performance
Spirit of collaboration inspires ground-breaking Vivid LIVE sails artwork
Emily Nicol speaks to the creators of this year's extraordinary Vivid Lighting of the Sails artwork: the Martumili Artists, musicians Electric Fields, and creative technologists Curiious.
Relics of Sound
“These relics of sound were once loved, played or worn.” This new online artwork by Sydney artist NELL is for all those who have never let go of the posters, the t-shirts, the guitar picks and drumsticks.
Giant Bonsai – A photographic project by Garry Trinh
Artist Garry Trinh’s Giant Bonsai (2011 -) is an ongoing photographic project, digitally presented for Antidote, that celebrates the incidental charms of creative urban vegetation pruning in Sydney.
Contemporary Music
Father & Son: Marcel & Rami Khalifé
Composer, oud master and performer, Marcel Khalifé, shares a special bond with his son, piano virtuoso Rami Khalifé. Discover the father-son relationship behind the incredible musical duo.
How two rock stars are discovering the ‘sonic fabric’ of movies
The unconventional technique and unbelievable sounds of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, a duo whose film music is becoming as renowned as their solo works.
Solange’s sculptural performance art
Six shows where the artist collided music with movement and space.
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Comedy, Circus & Magic
The stylish Scotsman who's reinventing mentalism
Scott Silven isn't your average magician. He sees magic as storytelling – "a metaphor for something greater". Ahead of Wonders, we talk to Silven about the art of magic.
What’s it really like to run away with the circus?
Ever wondered what it's like to run away with the circus? Jascha Boyce and Darcy Grant from contemporary circus production The Mirror share the high-flying details.
Vietnam’s villages bloom into a city in À Ố Làng Phố
Tuan Le's new circus challenges how we see Asia.
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Dance
Canberra dancer wins female choreographic residency
Sydney Opera House, The Australian Ballet and Dance Australia join forces to bring women to centre stage.
Clyde Emmanuel Archer is dancing between worlds
The L-E-V Dance Company artist on redefining race in dance, and the ‘gaga technique’
Stage Direction: Anna Karenina
In this latest edition of Stage Direction, Stephen A Russell traces the tracks of Anna Karenina, Tolstoy’s tempestuous ode to love, loss and family, ahead of its latest ballet adaptation at the Sydney Opera House.
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First Nations
Badu Gili’s Frances Belle Parker
We talk to Frances Belle Parker, one of the five Badu Gili artists, about her work, her motivation and how she's used the Opera House’s sails as a blank canvas.
Deborah Mailman on Rhoda Roberts’ “remarkable” 16 years at the Sydney Opera House
Few people have had as much influence on what takes place in these hallowed halls as Rhoda Roberts. This month, she finishes her incredible stint at the Opera House. We spoke to actress and Trustee Deborah Mailman about Robert's everlasting impact.
Why NAIDOC matters
We ask some of our Opera House family – performers and artists who take centre stage during this week of celebration – to discuss this year's NAIDOC theme and to unpack why the week matters to them.
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Kids & Families
Stage Direction: Grug & Magic Beach
How does a treasured childhood classic become a living, breathing three-dimensional theatre tale? Lenny Ann Low looks at the art of adapting two iconic picture books for the Opera House stage.
A decade of creativity: Giving children a voice with Frank Newman
Nearly ten years since its inception, we spoke to Creative Learning Specialist Frank Newman about the importance of play, and how the Opera House uses contemporary arts practices in free Creative Play workshops.
From stage to story: books for kids
Inspire creative young minds with these children's books whose characters and their authors have appeared on the Opera House stages.
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Musical Theatre & Cabaret
The French songwriting duo who dared to dream a dream
Many twists of fate led to this mesmerising concert celebrating the enduring music of Les Misérables, Miss Saigon and more.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is tipping the scales of Broadway and Hollywood
Here are the moments the 'Hamilton' and 'In the Heights' genius championed diverse voices.
The viral musical you’ve probably never heard of
When it opened in 2017, ‘SIX the Musical’ enchanted a new generation of musical theatre fans with its contemporary pop homages and progressive take on Tudor history. Now, having just debuted on Broadway, the viral musical has its sights set on a wider audience.
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Opera
Stage Direction: The Phantom of the Opera
Unmask Phantom, the original ‘mega-musical’, from its humble beginnings in a French newspaper to being part of our cultural DNA over 100 years later.
Brett Whiteley: A life, an opera
A rebel. An icon. Learn about one of Australia's greatest artists.
Tina Arena channels the spirit of Eva Perón
The cast of Evita reveal what it's like to be part of an Argentinian social revolution.
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Talks & Ideas
The recipes that made her famous: Alison Roman’s internet-breaking meals
From the flavourful Spiced Chickpea Stew with Coconut and Turmeric to the legendary Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread, Alison Roman’s simple but oh-so-delicious creations have amassed millions of shares, likes, and followers around the world.
Mother tongues and minor feelings
Recipient of the Antidote and Sweatshop Mentorship for Diverse Emerging Writers Joyce Chew on family, language and the “glittering visage of the Australian ‘fair go’”.
Now you see us
Recipient of the Antidote and Sweatshop Mentorship Program for Diverse Emerging Writers Patricia Arcilla writes about the “tidiness” of #StopAsianHate in the face of deeper systemic problems.
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Theatre
Stage Direction: The Little Prince
In the first of our new series on page-to-stage adaptations, Neha Kale looks at how Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s poignant tale of a young prince lives on in the 21st century.
“My sun in dark places”: How theatre saved Hasiba Ebrahimi
Amidst a challenging childhood across three countries, Hasiba Ebrahimi found her calling in theatre and the life-affirming power of storytelling. Now, more than a decade later, Hasiba stars in Dorr-e Dari, a poetic multimedia celebration of love, poetry and classical Persian culture from Afghanistan.
John Bell in seven acts
To celebrate Bell Shakespeare's 30th anniversary we highlight seven of the best John Bell moments on stage with the Bard.
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