2000

Sydney Festival celebrated 25 years in 2001. Local audiences were treated to a celebration of gospel music with America’s First Lady of Gospel, Shirley Caesar, in her Australian Premiere. The opera rarity Mitridate rê di Ponto by Mozart was performed in Australia for the very first time, and beloved Festival artist Robert Lepage returned with The Far Side Of The Moon, scored by Laurie Anderson.

The 1999 Sydney Festival opened in splendid style with William Walton’s mighty choral work Belshazzar’s Feast, performed by 80 members of the London Symphony Chorus, members of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and the Sydney Festival Orchestra.