Festival Director: Leo Schofield

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.

One of the world’s greatest outdoor theatre companies, Els Comediants returned with a street parade like no other. Internationally celebrated companies came to town with De Nederlandse Opera performing The Return Of Ulysses exclusive to Sydney, and the United Kingdom’s The Young Vic Company in Grimm Tales.

A new solo series gave the stage to one-person performances like Kerry Shale in The Prince Of West End Avenue and the Australian debut of American performance artist Danny Hoch.

David Hare’s The Judas Kiss had its Australian premiere, directed by Neil Armfield, and a benefit concert for Opera Australia with Yvonne Kenny thrilled audiences.

THEATRE

Jauja Mediterranea
Els Comediants

Centre Chorégraphique National d'Orléans

Monster
Daniel MacIvor

Grimm Tales
The Young Vic Company

The Prince Of West End Avenue
From the novel by Alan Isler
Adapted and performed by Kerry Shale

Vietnamese Water Puppets
The Thang Long Water Puppet Troupe Of Hanoi

Jails, Hospitals & Hip-Hop
Danny Hoch

Nothing But Pleasure
David Benson

The Judas Kiss
By David Hare
Directed by Neil Armfield
Company B Belvoir

DANCE

Campanas Flamencas

The Balanescu Quartet

CIRCUS

Saltimbanco
Cirque du Soleil

Electronic Big Top
Skadada

MUSIC

Andreas Scholl
Associate artist: Paul Dyer (harpsichord)

Government House Recitals
Piano: Andrea Lam

Government House Recitals
Mezzo-soprano: Joslyn Rechter
Tenor: John Heuzenroeder
Associate artist: Michael Black (piano)

Government House Recitals
Violin: Susie Park
Associate artist: Natalia Sheludiakova (piano)

Music on site: Gabriel Quartet/Quarterstones

Music on site: Leonora Ensemble

Music on site: The Song Company

Sydney Symphony Jazz Prom
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Piano: Joanna MacGregor
Conductor: Sian Edwards

Twilight Chamber Music
Violin: Barbara Jane Gilby
Harp: Marshall McGuire

Twilight Chamber Music
Soprano: Jane Edwards
Harpsichord: Erin Helyard
Recorder: Hands-Dieter Michatz
Cello: Kate Morgan

Twilight Chamber Music: La Vie Parisienne
Soprano: Adele Johnston
Piano: Simon Kenway
Baritone: Robert Mitchell
Cello: David Pereira

Twilight Chamber Music
Mezzo-soprano: Liane Keegan
Piano: David Miller

Twilight Chamber Music: Macquarie Trio
Piano: Kathryn Selby
Violin: Nicholas Milton
Cello: Michael Goldschlarger

Twilight Chamber Music
Piano: Stephanie McCallum

Australian Chamber Orchestra
John Bell, Lady Susana Walton

Bacardi Festival de Cuba
Jose Alberto, Los Jovenes del Barrio, Kenny Lopez and the Havana Connection, Xiomara

Belshazzar's Feast
London Symphony Chorus, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sydney Festival Orchestra
Conductor: Richard Hickox
Baritone: Peter Coleman-Wright
Soloist: Pamela Helen Stephen

Bryn Terfel

Celia Cruz

Debussy: The Complete Piano Works
Philippe Cassard

Ensemble Bash

Hands On

Holly Cole

Jazz In The Domain
The James Morrison Big Band, Don Burrows, Renee Geyer, Emma Pask

London Symphony Chorus In Concert
Chorus director: Stephen Westrop

New Jungle Orchestra
Pierre Dørge, New Jungle Orchestra

Symphony In The Domain - Russian Fireworks
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Sian Edwards
Soloist: Simon Tedeschi (piano)

Taikoz

The Dufay Collective

The Glory Of The Baroque
Andreas Scholl, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Director: Paul Dyer

The Gogmagogs

Yvonne Kenny and Friends
Yvonne Kenny, David Hobson, Peter Coleman-Wright, The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra

Patti LuPone

OPERA

The Return Of Ulysses
Claudio Monteverdi in a performing version by Glen Wilson
De Nederlandse Opera

Opera In The Domain - Madama Butterfly

Galina Gorchakova
Associate artist: Larissa Gergieva

ART

All Human Life
Hulton Getty collection

Classic Cézanne
Paul Cézanne

Sculpture On Site
Inge King, Ron Robertson-Swann

Sit Up!
Vitra Design Museum

The Warhol Look
Andy Warhol

Unexpected Views: Images of Early Sydney from the Collection of Beat Knoblauch

Precious Legacy: treasures from the Jewish Museum in Prague

Cupola
Lauren Berkowitz

The Messenger
Bill Viola

FILM

Open Air Cinema

CELEBRATIONS

Australia Day Fireworks Spectacular

BBC Hardware Flags Afloat Parade

Darling Harbour Celebrates Australia Day

Hyde Park and Eastside Celebrations

Red Stolichnaya Festival Bar

Third National Performance Conference

SPORT

Australia Day Regatta

Coca Cola Amatil Ferrython

NRMA Motorfest

Tall Ships Race