Festival Director: Leo Schofield
2000 marked the year the city would host the Olympic Games, but prior to that, Sydney Festival put on its own spectacular show. As part of the Festival, internationally renowned Australian designer Marc Newson was commissioned to create a celebratory lighting scheme for the Sydney Opera House. The first of these, Sunset, was projected during the Festival, and the other three during the Olympic Arts Festival later in the year.
New additions to the program included a series of talks with Festival artists and twilight chamber music performances at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Philip Glass returned, this time performing with the Philip Glass Ensemble in Koyaanisqatsi Live, an Australian premiere. Geoffrey Rush starred in The Small Poppies, directed by none other than Festival stalwart Neil Armfield.
A special piece of Sydney Festival history was made thanks to the NSW Government, when the Festival was presented with a Stuart piano to be used exclusively during Sydney Festival performances. At other times, the piano was housed at Government House, to be used in recitals and performances. The Stuart piano was a unique instrument, veneered in magnificent Richmond River cedar from northern NSW.
OPERA
Elektra
Opera in one act by Richard Strauss
To a libretto by Hugo Von Hofmannsthal
After the drama by Sophocles
Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Staatsoper Unter Den Linden Berlin
THEATRE
The Weir
By Conor McPherson
The Royal Court Theatre Company
Keene/Taylor Theatre Project: The Best of Seasons 1-6
Six pieces of theatre written by Daniel Keene and directed by Ariette Taylor
The Sunshine Club
By Wesley Enoch and John Rodgers
Book and lyrics by Wesley Enoch
Music by John Rodgers
Script consultant: Nick Enright
Sydney Theatre Company
The Small Poppies
By David Holman
Directed by Neil Armfield
Company B Belvoir
Flight
Strange Fruit
DANCE
One Of A Kind
Choreography byJiří Kylián
Original music: Brett Dean
Solo cello: Pieter Wispelwey
Netherlands Dance Theatre
NDT.I x 4
Works byJiří Kylián and Paul Lightfoot
Netherlands Dance Theatre
CIRCUS
Cardoso Flea Circus
Maria Fernanda Cardoso
MUSIC
Philharmonia Orchestra
Programs 1, 2, 3 – Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Program 2 – Piano: Vladimir Ashkenazy
Program 3 – Piano: Martha Argerich
Twilight Chamber Music: Body & Soul
The Song Company
Director: Roland Peelman
Twilight Chamber Music: Dances For The Rainbow Serpent
Guitar Trek
Twilight Chamber Music: Eyes Across Skin
Violin/hurdy-gurdy/vocals/electronics: Stevie Wishart
Visuals and live projection: Joan Grounds
Sound engineer: Shane Fahey
Twilight Chamber Music: Old Masters
Macquarie Trio
Twilight Chamber Music: On A Poet's Lips
Soprano: Jane Edwards
Harp: Marshall McGuire
Twilight Chamber Music: Portraits
Tenor: David Hamilton
Piano: David Miller
Wispelwey/Britten: 3 Suites For Solo Cello
Pieter Wispelwey
Young Australia at Government House
Chamber Music From Youth Music Australia's National Music Camp
Bach 6 x 6
Six virtuosi play the six suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach
Program 1: Michael Goldschlager, Cameron Retchford, Julian Smiles
Program 2: Pieter Wispelwey, Nathan Waks, David Periera
Chick Corea & Gary Burton
Jazz In The Domain - Celebrating A Century Of Jazz
Port Jackson Jazz Band, Graeme Bell, Bob Barnard, Jim Cullen, Geoff Bull, Lee Gunness, Jim McLeod, Brad Child Band, Janet Seidel, Hi 5 vocal group, Nolan Buddle Quartet, Ten Part Invention
Koyaanisqatsi Live: Philip Glass
Philip Glass with The Philip Glass Ensemble
Symphony In The Domain: A World Of Music
Compositions From America, Argentina, Australia, Russia
Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Andrea Lam (piano)
Taikoz with Eitetsu Hayashi
Tango Sinfonico
Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Young Australia at Government House
Soprano: Natalie Christie
Baritone: Angus Wood
Piano: Sharolyn Kimmorley
Young Australia at Government House
Trio 3.0.3
Bacardi Festival de Cuba
Conjunto Céspedes, Ozomatli, All Star Cubano Band
OPERA
Elektra
Opera Australia, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Staatsoper Unter Den Linden Berlin
THEATRE
Flight
Strange Fruit
Keene/Taylor Theatre Project
Daniel Keene, Ariette Taylor
The Small Poppies
Company B Belvoir
The Sunshine Club
Sydney Theatre Company
The Weir
The Royal Court Theatre Company
DANCE
NDT.I x 4
Netherlands Dance Theatre
One Of A Kind
Netherlands Dance Theatre
CIRCUS
Cardoso Flea Circus
Maria Fernanda Cardoso
FILM
Excite OpenAir Cinema
ART & EXHIBITIONS
City Visions
Complicity
Favourite: Margaret Olley and Barry Humphries Choose From Australian Collections
Hitchcock: Art, Cinema… Suspense
Michelangelo to Matisse: Drawing The Figure
Episodes
Marc Newson
Spin Out
Christopher Langton
Sydney Metropolis
CELEBRATIONS
Australia Day Spectacular
BBC Hardware Flags Afloat Parade
Darling Harbour Celebrations
Hyde Park and Eastside Celebrations
Red Stolichnaya Festival Bar
SPORT
164th Australia Day Regatta
Coca Cola Amatil Ferrython
Harris Tall Ships Race
NRMA Motorfest
TALKS
A conversation with Jiří Kylián
Jiří Kylián, Nell Schofield
Elektra: Classical Modernism, Modern Classic
Simone Young, Professor Michael Ewans, Robert Gibson
Forum - John Olsen: Drawn To Life
Edmund Capon, John Olsen
