Meet the Music at the Sydney Opera House

Meet the Music is a fun and interactive way for kids to learn about and enjoy music at the Sydney Opera House.

Introduction

The Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most iconic buildings, and it’s also home to one of Australia’s most prestigious performing arts companies, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the 20th century’s most famous and distinctive buildings.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the building was formally opened on 20 October 1973 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Government of New South Wales, led by the premier Joseph Cahill, authorised work to begin in 1958 with Utzon directing construction. The Opera House was built on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, close to bridge piers of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

As one of the busiest performing arts centres in the world, hosting more than 1,500 performances each year, the Opera House is an Australian icon and has come to represent both Sydney and Australia to the world.

The Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the 20th century’s most famous and distinctive buildings. The Opera House was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who, in 2003, received the Pritzker Prize, architecture’s highest honour. The building was completed in 1973 and is Administered by the Sydney Opera House Trust, a New South Wales Government statutory authority, under the ownership of the State Government of New South Wales.

The Building

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. It was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who won an international competition to design the building in 1957. Construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1973. The Sydney Opera House is built on Bennelong Point, a site with a rich history. For thousands of years, the Aboriginal people of Australia occupied Bennelong Point, which they called Wangal land. In 1788, the British arrived and established a penal colony on the site. In 1855, the Colonial Government commenced construction of Fort Macquarie as a defensive measure against potential Russian invasion. The fort was demolished in 1901 and Bennelong Point was designated as a recreation reserve. In 1937, a competition was held to find a design for a new Sydney Harbour Bridge. The winning design, by British architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, included plans for two massive stone pylons on Bennelong Point, which were never built.

The History

The Sydney Opera House is one of the world’s most distinctive and famous 20th-century buildings, and was conceived and built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon.

work on the building commenced in 1957 and was declared open on 20 October 1973 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Although the cost of construction amounted to A$102 million (A$1.2 billion in 2019 dollars), it was finally completed within its proposed budget.

Sydney Opera House is 160 metres long and 120 metres wide at its widest point. It covers 1.8 hectares of land and has 2,900 rooms, including 1,100 offices, an auditorium that seats 2,700 people, a theatre that seats 597 people, and a studio that seats 400 people. The main sail-like shells are covered in more than one million ceramic tiles. Sydney Opera House was formally recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site on 28 June 2007.

The Music

The Sydney Opera House will come alive with the sound of music on the 18th of January. There will be a range of different music genres and styles on offer, so there is something for everyone to enjoy. Meet the music at the Sydney Opera House and enjoy a wide range of performances.

The Orchestras

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is one of Australia’s leading orchestras. Based at the Sydney Opera House, the SSO performs over 100 concerts a year, including a annual subscription series, open-air concerts in the Domain and many other special events.

The SSO is renowned for its vibrant programming, championing contemporary composers as well as the great classical works. The orchestra also enjoys a long-standing partnership with Principal Guest Conductor Edo de Waart, who regularly leads the SSO in subscription concerts and special events.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) is one of the world’s finest chamber orchestras. The ACO performs an annual subscription series at the Sydney Opera House as well as performing across Australia and around the world.

The ACO’s distinctive approach to music-making has won them a devoted following both at home and abroad. The orchestra works with some of the world’s leading soloists and composers, presenting a wide range of repertoire from Baroque to contemporary works.

The Concert Halls

The Sydney Opera House has five main performance venues: the Concert Hall, the Opera Theatre, the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse and the Studio. Each has its own unique atmosphere and identity.

The largest of our venues is the Concert Hall. It is home to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and hosts a wide range of musical genres, from classical to pop. With 2,679 seats, it is one of the largest concert halls in the world.

The Opera Theatre is our smallest venue. It seats just under 1,500 people and is used primarily for opera and ballet performances. The acoustics in this intimate space are some of the best in the world.

The Drama Theatre seats up to 544 people and is used for a variety of theatre productions, from Shakespeare to contemporary Australian plays. This venue also has excellent acoustics.

The Playhouse seats up to 410 people and tends to be used for more experimental theatre productions and smaller-scale musicals.

Finally, our Studio hosts a range of events including workshops, conferences, small-scale concerts and dance performances.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the Sydney Opera House. We hope you have enjoyed learning about the acoustics, history and design of this world-famous building.

The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic buildings in the world and it is loved by many Australians. We hope you now have a greater appreciation for its place in our history and culture.

Thank you again for joining us. We hope you have a wonderful day.