Richard Tognetti directs this mesmerising collaboration between the Sydney Dance Company and the ACO, featuring countertenor Iestyn Davies and the music of Johann Sebastian Bach and Arvo Pärt.
Composing three centuries apart, Johann Sebastian Bach and Arvo Pärt’s timeless music speaks to the human soul. From rockstars and writers to artists and filmmakers, these composers are revered by music lovers across genres and generations. The last time the ACO performed their music together, it was a sell-out.
Expressing the luminous longing at the heart of this music is choreography from Rafael Bonachela, Artistic Director Sydney Dance Company, while Gramophone Award-winning countertenor Iestyn Davies, whose performances have been described as “a pleasure that verges on the sublime” (The Guardian) makes his Australian debut, bringing these stirring melodies to life.
Bach and Pärt’s music is rooted in human experience while reaching towards the divine. This program traces a profound journey through three Gardens at the heart of the Biblical narrative they both hold so close: from the hope and temptation of the Garden of Eden to the tragedy and passion of the Garden of Gethsemane, ascending into the Garden of Heaven and, at last, the meditation of silence. Featuring Part’s Fratres and selections from Bach’s most loved cantatas, orchestral and solo music, this promises to be a season highlight and a deeply affirming experience.
Come witness the collaboration that brings together music, movement and evocative lighting to create something truly extraordinary.
Run time
This event will run for approximately 2 hours.
Concert Hall
One of the world’s most sought after venues, the Concert Hall is a performance space like no other. With its cathedral like ambience and unrivalled majesty, standing on this very special stage will see you deliver a performance to remember.
In July 2022, the Opera House completed extensive upgrades to the Concert Hall. The multi-million-dollar project delivered extensive improvements to the venue, including: better acoustics for artists and audiences, enhanced access for people with mobility needs, new state-of-the-art theatre machinery and staging systems, and a more flexible and safer working environment for staff behind-the-scenes.
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.