Festival Director: Brett Sheehy
The 2005 Sydney Festival opened with The Lazy The Kings by Transe Express at Sydney Olympic Park. The Festival expanded its Parramatta program to include Jazz in Parramatta Park, a free concert open to people of all ages.
Sydney Festival presented Robert Wilson’s first ever work in Sydney, The Black Rider. The Festival also staged the Australian debut of the newest wave of world dance with the Shen Wei Dance Arts.
Audiences were delighted by Came So Far For Beauty, a tribute to Leonard Cohen’s music featuring Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Linda Thompson, the McGarrigle Sisters, Antony and The Johnsons and many more.
THEATRE
The Black Rider
A musical fable with Marianne Faithfull and Matt McGrath
Direction, set and lighting by Robert Wilson
Music and lyrics by Tom Waits
Text by William S. Burroughs
Original musical arrangements by Greg Cohen and Tom Waits
Dramaturgy by Wolfgang Wiens
The Sapphires
Written by Tony Briggs
Directed by Wesley Enoch
Music Director: Peter Farnan
Set Design: Richard Roberts
Costume Design: Dale Ferguson
With Lisa Flanagan, Deborah Mailman, Rachael Maza and Ursula Yovich
Company B, Melbourne Theatre Company
Three Furies
A play with songs by Stephen Sewell
Original score by Basil Hogios
Directed by Jim Sharman
Produced by Performing Lines
The Eternity Man
Librettist: Dorothy Porter
Composer: Jonathan Mills
Conductor: Richard Gill
The Lost Thing
Original writer: Shaun Tan
Writer/Director: Greg Lissaman
Jigsaw Theatre Company
The Lazy Kings
Transe Express
DANCE
Shen Wei Dance Arts
Already Elsewhere
Kate Champion and Force Majeure
Produced by Performing Lines
MUSIC
12 Angry Cellos
Principal Cellist: Robert Cohen
Soprano: Sara Macliver
Conductor: Brett Dean
Robert Cohen
The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet
Program 1: Tenor - Gregory Massingham, Conductor - Brett Dean
Program 2: Piano - Ian Munro
Dianne Reeves
DJ Spooky's Rebirth Of A Nation
A performance work by Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky
Hal Winner's Came So Far For Beauty: An Evening of Leonard Cohen Songs
Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, The Handsome Family, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Beth Orton, Linda Thompson, Teddy Thompson, Martha Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright, Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen
Jazz In Parramatta Park: Blowin' The Blues
James Morrison, Renee Geyer, The Backsliders, Jeff Lang, Sydney Festival Jazz Orchestra
Journey To The Stars
Sydney Symphony
Conductor: Alexander Briger
Soprano: Teresa La Rocca
Didgeridoo: William Barton
Memory Of Colour
Composed by Ed Hughes
In response to Teruyoshi Yoshida's textile installation Surface Of The Lake
Performed by The Seymour Group
Artistic Director: Marshall McGuire
Mixdown
Good Buddha, Def Wish Cast, Upshot, Brethren, DJ Mark Walton
Super Rail Band de Bamako
Tales Of Time And Place
Piano: Paul Grabowsky
Saxophone: Joe Lovano
Trumpet: Scott Tinkler
Bass: Ed Schuller
Drums: Jeff Tain Watts
Visionary Landscapes
ELISION Ensemble
Conductor: Franck Ollu
Violin: Graeme Jennings
Oboe: Diana Doherty
Saxophone: Timothy O'Dwyer
Bacardi Latino Festival
Los Amigos Invisibles, Batucada Sound Machine, Armandito y su Mecanica
Beck's Festival Bar
Java, Dirty Three, Fbi Night, Kid Confucius, Katalyst, Boogie Down Soundsystem, Nick Toth, Blaze, Regal, Atmosphere, DJ Spooky
Throwdown
MC Morganics, Urthboy, Ozi Batla, El Gusto, DJ Blaze, DJ Scottidoo, Intermission, Mr Castel, Rival, Heywire, 7 Dollars Crew
FILM
Festival on Film: Bacon Meets Burroughs
Festival on Film: Portrait Of An Artist - Francis Bacon
Festival on Film: The Theatre of Robert Wilson
Festival on Film: Visions of Robert Wilson
Festival on Film: William Burroughs
St George OpenAir Cinema
EXHIBITIONS & INSTALLATIONS
Bill Henson
Eavesdrop
By Pledger and Shaw
Not Yet It's Difficult
Eye 4 Photography
Getting Married
Photographer: Roslyn Sharp
Authors: Mary Ann Hamilton, Megan Wynne-Jones
Lee Bul
Minutes To Midnight
Trent Parke
The Butterfly Effect
Brook Andrew, Tom Arthur, Jackie Dunn, Michael Goldberg, Joan Ground, Nigel Helyer, Joyxe Hinterding, David Haines, Anna Munster/Michele Barker, Josie Starrs/Leon Cmielewski, Louise Weaver
Walk & Don't Look Blak
Destiny Deacon
My City of Sydney
Anne Landa Award
Global Local
Import Export
TALKS
Robert Wilson: 1. Have You Been Here Before 2. No This Is The First Time
Talking Culture: Jeffrey Shaw
Talking Culture: Music Forum with Brett Dean
Chair: David Buckley
Brett Dean, Brian Ferneyhough, Liza Lim, Timothy O'Dwyer, John Rodgers
Talking Culture: On Leonard Cohen
Hal Willner, Nick Cave, Beth Orton, The Handsome Family, Jarvis Cocker, Perta Batalla, Julie Christensen
Talking Culture: Rhythm Science
DJ Spooky
Talking Culture: Shen Wei
Talking Culture: Through the Glass Darkly
Bill Henson
POETRY
Open Mic Poetry Slam
Slamming
Poets: Alana Hicks, Bravo, Briohny Doyle, Eytan Messiah, Jessica Stalenberg, Miles Merrill
Music: UPSHOT
CELEBRATIONS
Australia Day in the Park - Hyde Park Celebrations
Australia Day Parade
Australia Day Spectacular
Country Rocks
Reflections: A New Year Light Spectacular
Neil Dawson, Martin Kinnane
Sydney Ports Jazz On The Water
Woggan-ma-gule Farm Cove Morning Ceremony
SPORT
Australia Day Surfboard Challenge presented by TAB
NRMA Motorfest - Celebrating 20 Years!
Streets Ferrython Ferry Fast Run
