Sydney Opera House Architect Reminisces About Construction

Australia's most famous building now is popular for architectural projection mapping on the iconic rooftop.

Famous Builder: Architect John Zaat

"'I JUST got lucky, I suppose ... but it was absolutely mind blowing, being involved in the design of one of the great buildings of the world.' Rosebank man John Zaat was one of the architects who worked on the iconic Sydney Opera House. As a young graduate in 1966, it was a life-changing opportunity for him, and it's a story he loves to share with fellow members of U3A Northern Rivers (Lismore). Mr Zaat is the current president of the group. Although he doesn't run any of his own classes, he regularly speaks about his time working on the opera house and what it meant for his career in architecture. 'Eleven years of my career were spent on that building,' he said. 'I first started work on the initial design in 1966 ... it was my job to design the ceiling in the concert hall. Then in the 1990s I worked on the upgrade program, which was a $120 million program.'" [Source]

Sydney Opera House Hosts Second Sold-Out Lady Antebellum Show

"Lady Antebellum‘s Own the Night World Tour is a hit Down Under. The group sold out its upcoming shows in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney when tickets went on sell for the Australian leg of the trek. A second show was added at the Sydney Opera House due to demand as well. Lady A heads to Australia in September following a run through Europe in July. They continue their Own the Night World Tour with a show in Birmingham, AL Thursday night." [Source] For more about Lady Antebellum, click here.

GQ Man of the Year 2011 Awards Set For Sydney Opera House

"GQ Australia editor, and newly anointed Editor of the Year, Nicholas Smith, in association with Chivas, will host the 2011 GQ Men of the Year Awards at the Sydney Opera House. An exclusive black-tie dinner and awards ceremony will be attended by 250 guests and MC’ed by Wil Anderson, with an after party to follow in the GQ Lounge. Celebrating Australia’s leading actors, comedians, musicians, sportsmen, fashion designers and visionaries, the 2011 GQ Men of the Year Awards, in association with Chivas, welcomes back home-grown international celebrities Joel Edgerton, Alex O’Loughlin, and Rachael Taylor and comedian Jason Gann. Also on the guest list are actor Hugh Sheridan, chef Manu Feildel, swimmer James Magnussen and The Project’s Charlie Pickering. Adding further star power to the night are the presenters including David Jones Ambassador Megan Gale, chef Pete Evans, actor Jack Thompson, Sydney

FC’s Brett Emerton, media personality Steve Vizard and author Tara Moss. Also, heading to Australia to attend GQ Men of the Year Awards 2011 is star of Twilight Breaking Dawn, Kellan Lutz and his Australian girlfriend Sharni Vinson. The 2011 GQ Men of the Year Awards, in association with Chivas, comprise 18 categories across entertainment, fashion, the arts, sport, media and philanthropy. Also, for the first time, there is a Woman of the Year category, recognising the achievements of GQ Australia’s favourite Australian leading lady." [Source]

Sydney Opera House Inspired Axel Enthoven Camping Tent

"Alighting in France’s Provence with the fragrance of lavender in the air. Enjoying a good glass of wine in the hills of Tuscany. Day-dreaming with the murmur of the Mediterranean in your ears. If you make the Opera your travel companion, a whole new world will open up to you. A world in which you can enjoy the luxuries of a comfortable hotel against the backdrop of your favourite natural landscapes. A world in which you have the freedom to go, or stay, wherever you wish, while relishing the purity of the outdoors in style. Welcome to the world of Opera, Your Suite in Nature. The Opera is a mobile designer suite in a class of her own. Within minutes, she will show you her characteristic outlines, resting firmly on her legs in a level position. The teak veranda is an invitation for you to come on board, where you’ll be amazed by the luxury and detail. Such as the two electrically adjustable beds that can easily be transformed into one. Or the boiler supplying warm water to the kitchen, the fountain and the (exterior) shower. The hot air heating. The ceramic toilet. The top loading refrigerator. The low-energy LED lighting from awning to floor. The Opera offers you the convenience of a complete holiday home." [Source] More photos after the jump.

Taking a Second Look at American Soprano Jennifer Ann Wilson

"Dich teure halle"
Tannhäuser (Wagner)

"It was as recently as 2002 that Jennifer Wilson made her professional debut as Turandot with the Connecticut Opera but she has in the short intervening period already successfully established herself as one of the world’s leading dramatic sopranos. Following on the heels of her Connecticut success, Jennifer Wilson went on to debut with the Lyric Opera of Chicago as Helmwige/Die Walküre and make her first European appearance in the leading soprano role in Schulhoff's Die Flammen at Amsterdam's Concertgebouw conducted by Edo de Waart. In the 2003/2004 season, Jennifer made a short-notice debut at Houston’s Grand Opera, again as Turandot, which led The Houston Chronicle to declare her "A star in the making." In the 2005/2006 season at the Paris Chatelet, she made her European operatic debut in Bob Wilson’s production of Die Walküre, conducted by Christoph Eschenbach. In addition to further successful productions of Turandot for the Santa Fe Opera, Opera

"In questa reggia"
Turandot (Puccini)

Australia and at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall in Greece, Jennifer Wilson enjoyed a huge personal success with her first Brünnhilde/Die Götterdämmerung at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, also performing Helmwige, Gutrune and the Third Norn in their 2005 Ring Cycles. A house and role debut as Senta at the artist’s home house – Washington National Opera – followed, and last season saw successful further house debuts at Covent Garden (Turandot with Nicola Luisotti) and at Hamburg’s State Opera (Die Walküre with Simone Young). In the 2006/2007 season, Jennifer Wilson began a multi-season collaboration with Zubin Mehta, the Palau de les Arts, Valencia and the Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence as she embarked on new productions of Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung which culminated last season with her highly-acclaimed first complete Ring Cycle performances. “She sings with great sensitivity and tenderness. Wagner would have loved her." Also a versatile concert artist, Jennifer Wilson's extensive repertoire includes R Strauss’ Four Last Songs, Beethoven's Symphony No 9 and Verdi’s Requiem alongside less frequently performed works by composers such as Durufle', Haydn, Saint-Saëns and Vaughan-Williams. Last season saw her debut with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra/Kent Nagano firstly as Elisabeth in concert performances of Wagner’s Tannhäuser, returning for performances of Mahler’s Symphony No 8. A native of Fairfax, Virginia, Jennifer Wilson is the recipient of a major grant from the Olga Forrai

Scenes from the Valencia production of
Der Ring des Nibelungen (Wagner).

Foundation, as well as the 2003 Robert Lauch Memorial Grant from the Wagner Society of New York and the Liederkranz Foundation's Ethel Bleakley Daniels Award for Wagnerian Voices. She is the recipient of the Evelyn Lear and Thomas Stewart Emerging Singers Career Grant from the Wagner Society of Washington, with whom she has sung a number of concerts including major scenes from Lohengrin and the final scene from Siegfried. The current season includes Jennifer’s debut as Aida for Opera Australia, a role which she will repeat at Valencia’s Palau de les Arts under Lorin Maazel, Gutrune in the Los Angeles Opera’s new Ring Cycle with James Conlon, as well as concerts in New Orleans, Montreal and Tel Aviv. Future projects include Isolde with the Leipzig Opera and at the Hong Kong Festival, as well as debuts at the opera houses in Berlin, Munich, Vienna and Tokyo." [Source]

Read two wonderful interviews with the soprano here and here. Watch excerpts from Der Fliegende Holländer (Wagner) at Washington National Opera after the jump.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes Takes Part in Sydney Opera House Celebration

"In 1990, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds released a song that within 11 years was voted one of the Top 30 Best Australian Songs of the previous 75 years. That song was 'The Ship Song.' Now, Sydney Opera House has married this iconic song with the world’s most famous building to celebrate the artists, architecture and interiors that together make the House a part of Australia’s cultural fabric. Sydney Opera House CEO Richard Evans said, 'We set out to create a tribute to the House’s role in the global creative community – a love song to creativity if you wish. We wanted to give people everywhere the opportunity to experience the creative genius that makes this place tick, to get a taste of the artists, venues and other spaces that power the heart that beats beneath our soaring white sails.' Over 12 months, artists and companies performing at Sydney Opera House were asked to join in The Ship Song journey under the lead of award-winning music video director Paul Goldman and music director and arranger Elliott Wheeler. The stature of the artists and companies who agreed to voluntarily perform in 'The Ship Song' is a tribute to the House’s role in Australian performing arts. 'The Ship Song' features vocals by Neil Finn, Kev Carmody, Sarah Blasko, Angus and Julia Stone, Paul Kelly, Temper Trap, Martha Wainwright, Katie Noonan, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Daniel Johns. The

Crooning for iconic architecture

singers are joined by the Sydney Symphony, Opera Australia, The Australian Ballet, Bangarra Dance Theatre, Bell Shakespeare Company and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Along with the music video, 'The Ship Song' also includes a fly-on-the-wall documentary by leading filmmaker Greg Appel about the making of the video including conversations with the artists about the passions that fire their creativity. The Ship Song was released globally on 26 July 2011 and shared across traditional and social media channels. The documentary, narrated by Guy Pearce, will screen on Foxtel." [Source]

For more information about the The Ship Song Project, including photos, history and interviews, click here.