Festival Director: Brett Sheehy
In 2004, Sydney Festival audiences were stunned by the majestic Transmission installation, set up on the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Opening Night. The Australian premiere of Nam June Paik’s neon and laser tower installation was not-to-be-missed.
Theatre was at the forefront of the Sydney Festival program with a celebration of the opening of the new Sydney Theatre. Sydney Theatre Company presented two world premiere productions with The Republic of Myopia and Harbour. In Parramatta, seven days of new music theatre were staged in Breaking The Cycle.
Ian McKellen took to the stage in an interpretation of Strindberg’s Dance Of Death, and Russell Simmon’s Def Poetry Jam had its Australian premiere.
THEATRE
Hashirigaki
Conception, Music & Direction: Heiner Goebbels
Inspired by Gertrude Stein's The Making Of Americans
With Charlotte Engelkes, Marie Goyette, Yumiko Tanaka
Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam
Conceived by Stan Lathan and Russell Simmons
Directed by Stan Lathan
Dance of Death
Revival of the play by August Strindberg
New adaptation by Richard Greenberg
Directed by Sean Mathias
With Ian McKellen, Frances De La Tour, Owen Teale
Eora Crossing
Director: Wesley Enoch
Legs Director: Debra Iris Batton
Dramaturg: Peter Matheson
Designer: Ralph Myers
Performers: Luke Carroll, Alexandra Harrison, Ingrid Kleinig, Rowan Marchingo, Kirk Page and Frances Ring, with students from the Eora Centre.
Legs On The Wall
Harbour
By Katherine Thomson
Director: Robyn Nevin
Sydney Theatre Company
The Republic of Myopia
Book and lyrics by Jonathan Biggins, Drew Forsyth, Phillip Scott
Music by Phillip Scott
Sydney Theatre Company
17 Musicians: New Works From Michael Gow and Patrick Maber
Australian Theatre For Young People, National Theatre's Young Company (Britain)
Through The Wire
Verbatim Theatre
Urban Safari
Gate TheatreBreaking The Cycle: Disgrace
Music Theatre Sydney
Breaking The Cycle: Festival Forum
Breaking The Cycle: Melba & Moncrieff
Judy Glen
Breaking The Cycle: Phobia Chamber Made Orchestra
Breaking The Cycle: Software
Oz Opera
Breaking The Cycle: Sonicspheres workshop
Margery Smith & Carlos Russell
Breaking The Cycle: The Glass Garden
God Be In My Mouth
DANCE
Alibi
Meg Stuart, Damaged Goods
George Piper Dances
Tense Dave
Chunky Move
CIRCUS
Skipping On Stars
The Flying Fruit Circus
MUSIC
Maya Beiser
Music House To House: Singing and Carolling
Viola: Brett Dean
Clarinet/bass clarinet: Paul Dean
Violin: Helena Rathbone, John Rodgers
Cello: Emma-Jane Murphy
Percussion: Daryl Pratt
Piccolo: Lamorna Nightingale
Piano: Ben Martin
Music House To House: Terror and Joy
Australian String Quartet
Piano, percussion: Ben Martin
Clarinet, percussion: Paul Dean
Percussion: Brett Dean, Daryl Pratt
Music House To House: The Pianist Speaks
Piano, recitation: Lisa Moore
Recitation: Martin Bresnick
Ahmad Jamal
Ephemera
Sydney Symphony
Gondwana Voices, Cantillation, Sydney Children's Choir Music
Conductor: Antonino Fogliani
Jazz In The Domain
Sydney Festival Jazz Orchestra
Director: Rob McConnell
Kronos Quartet
Kushti Bok Celebrations
101 Candles Orchestra, Karpatsky Guitars, Monsieur Camembert
Music House To House: The Lab
Linsey Pollack, Graeme Leak
Symphony In The Domain
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Antonino Fogliani
Violin: Nicole Vasilakis
Taraf de Haidouks
TULP: the Body Public
Justine Cooper, Composer John Rodgers, ELISION Music/Art
Beck's Festival Bar
Crazy Penis, Soul II Soul Sound System, Rocket Science, Good Buddha, The Cat Empire, Mad Racket, Jamie Liddel, Meem, Jimmi James, Simon Caldwell, Ken Cloud, Zootie
Bacardi Latino Festival
Alfredo De La Fé, Mi Tierra, Rumberos, Sydney Latin All Stars, Locura
Stone Sleeper
Based on the poems by Mak Dizdar
Director and Composer: Mirsad (Giga) Jeleskovic
Performers: Gosia Dobrowolska, Andrew Siedlecki
Singers: Eloise-Elizabeth Evans, Nadya Golski
FILM
St George Open Air Cinema
The Death Of Klinghoffer
Director: Penny Woolcock
Composer: John Adams
Libretto: Alice Goodman
London Symphony Orchestra and Choir conducted by John Adams
Producer: Madonna Baptiste
Production Company: Blast! Films
The Next Generation: New Directors Film Festival
La Haine
Live music from Asian Dub Foundation
EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS
City of Light
Great Fences Of Australia
Jon Rose, Hollis Taylor
Nam June Paik
Suspended States
Cherine Fahd, Trent Parke
Take A Bowery: The Art and (Larger Than) Life of Leigh Bowery
Tracey Moffatt
Sydney Style
32 Cars For The 20th Century - Play Mozart's Requiem Quietly
Nam June Paik
Museum of Dreams
Tim and Mic Gruchy
Transmission
Nam June Paik, Norman Ballard
Of Angels and Light
Dramaturgy and direction: Monica and Nani' Maimone
Campagnia Di Valerio Festi
TALKS
In Conversation with Ian McKellen
Talking Culture: Brett Dean
Talking Culture: Meg Stuart
Talking Culture: Science & Art
Dr Anna Munster, John Rodgers, Justine Cooper, Daryl Buckley, David Harrington
Talking Culture: Talking Miss Moffatt
Michael Snelling
Tom Stoppard in conversation with The Premier of NSW, Bob Carr
CELEBRATIONS
Australia Day Parade
Australia Day Spectacular
Country Rocks
Hyde Park Celebrations
Sydney Ports Jazz On The Water
Woggan-ma-gule Farm Cove Morning Ceremony
SPORT
Australia Day Surfboard Challenge presented by TAB Limited
NRMA Motorfest
Streets Ferrython
