2004

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.

View Program

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