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Opera Australia history
Opera Australia company history timeline
In January 1957 the judging committee announced the winning entry, that of Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won with a dramatic design showing a complex of two main halls side by side facing out to the harbour on a large podium.
Construction, however, which began in 1959, posed a variety of problems, many resulting from the innovative nature of the design.
In 1959 the governments of the United Arab Republic (U.A.R.; now Egypt and Syria) and Sudan turned to UNESCO for help in salvaging the ancient sites and monuments of Egyptian Nubia.
In 1960, before the construction of the sails had even begun, American singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson climbed the scaffolding and sang Ol’ Man River to construction workers.
The opening of the Opera House was originally planned for Australia Day (January 26) in 1963, but cost overruns and structural engineering difficulties in executing the design troubled the course of the work, which faced many delays.
Amid continuing disagreements with the government authorities overseeing the project, Utzon resigned in 1966.
Edward Downes, formerly associated with London's Royal Opera House, became Opera Australia’s musical director in 1972.
Construction continued until September 1973 under the supervision of the structural engineering firm Ove Arup and Partners and three Sydney architects—Peter Hall, David Littlemore, and Lionel Todd.
Two years later a new colonnade was completed, marking the first alteration to the Opera House’s exterior since 1973.
Meanwhile, in 1974 Australia’s greatest opera star, Joan Sutherland, performed for the first time in the theatre that would be named for her.
In 1980 Arnold Schwarzenegger won his final Mr Olympia body-building title in the Concert Hall.
In 1983 the Opera House marked its 10th anniversary with performances by The Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Choir of King’s College in Cambridge and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
John Pringle and Nelly Miricioiu in La traviata (1984) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
In 1985 the Sydney Opera House Trust presented Music and Dance of the First Australians, the first major program of works by Australia’s First Nations.
In 1988, as Australia celebrated its bicentenary, a revitalised forecourt became a venue for sheep-sheering, hot air ballooning and a demonstration of ski-jumping into the harbour.
Kenneth Collins and Marilyn Zschau in La fanciulla del West (1989) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
David Hobson as Rodolfo and Cheryl Barker as Mimi in La bohème (1990) by Philip Le MasurierSydney Opera House
Dame Joan farewelled the Opera House in 1990, with a performance of Les Huguenots.
Seven years later the same stage would host Pope John Paul II. In 1990 Nelson Mandela, freed from 27 years of prison earlier that year, spoke of forgiveness to a crowd of 40,000 on the Opera House’s Monumental Steps.
La bohème set box (1993) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
By 1995 the extraordinary tale of the building of the Sydney Opera House had become an opera in itself; Australian Opera premiered The Eighth Wonder by composer Alan John and librettist Dennis Watkins.
In 1999 Utzon agreed to return as the building’s architect, overseeing an improvement project.
As the minutes drew to a close in 1999, Icehouse performed a 25 minute extended version of Great Southern Land accompanied by the Australian Chamber Orchestra with Richard Tognetti playing an electric violin and Australian-based Japanese drum ensemble Taikoz.
Cheryl Barker in Don Giovanni (2000) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
2001 saw the inaugural Message Sticks, an annual festivals of contemporary indigenous culture.
He redesigned the former Reception Hall, and it was reopened in 2004 as the Utzon Room.
Stephen Bennett and Donald Shanks in Don Giovanni (2007) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
In 2007 the Opera House was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In 2008 Brian Eno curated the first Vivid LIVE music program.
Stage control (2010) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
Oprah Winfrey used the forecourt to film her Ultimate Australian Adventure with guests including Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman in 2010.
In 2012, the Sydney Opera House renamed its Opera Theatre the Joan Sutherland Theatre, in memory of one of Australia's greatest opera singers.
Opera, Sydney-style (2014) by Opera AustraliaSydney Opera House
In November 2015, a new national Indigenous dance competition, Dance Rites, premiered as part of Homeground.
Michael Fabiano (Faust) and Dancers in Faust, 2015 (2015) by Lisa TomasettiSydney Opera House
On 29 May, 2016, Songlines was webcast on Facebook Live.
Coast Opera Australia (COA) announces that after three transformational years at the helm, Virginia Henderson AM, will end her tenure as Chair, December 2021.
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Opera Australia competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIFF | 1976 | $8.0M | 73 | 5 |
| Luther F. Carson Four Rivers Center, Inc. | 1996 | $5.0M | 49 | - |
| 500 Festival | 1957 | $10.0M | 49 | 1 |
| The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey | 1963 | $3.6M | 2 | - |
| Sherman Theater | 1991 | $1.3M | 19 | - |
| Madison Symphony Orchestra | 1925 | $5.0M | 10 | - |
| City Theatre Miami | 1996 | $999,999 | 7 | - |
| Baltimore Symphony Orchestra | 1916 | $24.9M | 200 | 3 |
| Cincinnati Playhouse | 1960 | $5.0M | 50 | - |
| Arizona Opera | 1971 | $7.7M | 200 | - |
Opera Australia history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Opera Australia, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Opera Australia. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Opera Australia. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Opera Australia. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Opera Australia and its employees or that of Zippia.
Opera Australia may also be known as or be related to OPERA AUSTRALIA and Opera Australia.