KAREN O IN ‘STOP THE VIRGENS’/ FLORENCE + THE MACHINE / THE TEMPER TRAP / BRYCE DESSNER, NICO MUHLY, SUFJAN STEVENS / JANELLE MONAE & THE ARCHANDROID ORCHESTRA / AMON TOBIN LIVE BEYOND 3D ‘ISAM’ / EFTERKLANG & SYDNEY SYMPHONY / PVT / SHUT UP AND PLAY THE HITS / MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND / SEEKAE / DANNY BROWN / MED/ ELLESQUIRE / HALFWAY CROOKS DJS / ZOLA JESUS/ LIGHT ASYLUM / FORCES/ MODULAR / FUTURE CLASSIC / GOODGOD DANCETERIA / URBANSCREEN
Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (May 25 – June 3) is part of Vivid Sydney (May 25 – June 11), the city’s annual festival of light, music and ideas. Now in its fourth year, Vivid Sydney has become Australia’s major festival in winter and is one of five signature events on the NSW Events Calendar developed by Destination NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.
Vivid LIVE Festival Director Fergus Linehan says, “It has been a real honour for all of us at Sydney Opera House to work with our colleagues across the Vivid Sydney season to present what we hope will be a series of unforgettable experiences. From the attention to detail that URBANSCREEN are applying to their projected sails artwork to the many new orchestrations, stage designs and collaborations that are being prepared as I speak, I’m sure Vivid LIVE will offer ten days of joy, surprise, confrontation and beauty to Sydneysiders and visitors to the city this winter.”
From May 25 – June 3, Vivid LIVE will take over the Sydney Opera House with an extraordinary series ofperformances including exclusive concerts, unique collaborations and one-off projects. With over 22 events including 11 Australian premieres, 2 world premieres and many artists exclusive to Sydney, Vivid LIVE 2012 reinforces Sydney Opera House as the ultimate winter destination for music fans across Australia.
As the centrepiece to Vivid Sydney, each year a Vivid LIVE artist is invited to transform the sails of Sydney Opera House with digital mapping technology. In 2012, Vivid LIVE has commissioned multi-award winning German design collective, URBANSCREEN to create a new artwork that will explore both the iconic sculptural form of Sydney Opera House, as well as its place as a home for music, dance and drama.
Opening the festival on May 25, Florence + The Machine will perform with the Ceremonial Orchestra in a special Concert Hall engagement. Featuring over 40 performers onstage, this performance will represent the largest incarnation of the group yet.
Vivid LIVE will host the Australian premieres of two ambitious, spectacular large scale music productions, exclusive to Sydney: Karen O’s Pschyo-Opera, STOP THE VIRGENS will take over the Opera Theatre for five nights from May 30; while Amon Tobin’s epic audiovisual spectacular, Live Beyond 3D ISAM will play two performances in the Concert Hall on June 2.
Also exclusive to Sydney and making her Australian debut for two nights on 26 and 27 May, Janelle Monae & The Archandroid Orchestra will electrify the Concert Hall with her ambitious mix of R&B, funk and cinematic pop.
After a near-two-year absence from Sydney stages, The Temper Trap is pleased to reveal they will be making their only Sydney appearance at Vivid LIVE, with two special performances in the Concert Hall on Thursday 31 May and Friday 1 June. With the upcoming release of their self-titled, second LP – a follow up to their internationally acclaimed debut release Conditions, The Temper Trap’s highly anticipated return will be a centrepiece of Vivid LIVE.
In an exceptional collaboration, Vivid LIVE will see three of the defining creative minds of New York’s current music scene, Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly and Sufjan Stevens perform together in a rare series of concerts, a three way commission between Sydney Opera House, Muziekgebouw, Eindhoven and the Barbican, London.
In a world premiere and another commission exclusive to Vivid LIVE, celebrated Danish trio Efterklang will make their Australian debut performing material from their upcoming fourth album Piramida, in collaboration with Sydney Symphony.
Last seen at Sydney Opera House as part of Lou Reed & Laurie Anderson’s Vivid LIVE in 2010, Shara Worden AKA My Brightest Diamond will perform a full concert version of her third and most recent album All Things Will Unwind.
Also returning to Vivid LIVE will be Sydney’s PVT, who were invited by Brian Eno to perform the inaugural festival in 2009 (then known as Luminous). In an exclusive concert, PVT will preview their upcoming 4th album, expanding their line up with additional orchestration and a specifically designed light show.
In another showcase of a Sydney act making their mark on the world stage, local electronic trio, Seekae are putting together a concert especially for Vivid LIVE.
Throughout the Festival, Vivid LIVE will invite local music industry labels and promoters to The Studio to present a series of curated parties. On opening night, Niche Productions will present a night of underground Hip Hop with Nights Like This featuring Detroit’s Danny Brown and LA’s M.E.D. in their first Australian performances.
On May 31, local community music station FBi teams up with promoter Penny Drop to present an evening dedicated to the darker side of indie-rock, with the Australian debuts of Zola Jesus and Light Asylum, two leaders in this most gothic and operatic genres.
Over three nights Stephen Pavlovich’s legendary label Modular, Sydney-based record label and club host, Future Classic and the underground epicentre of Sydney nightlife, GoodGod Small Club will be programming special nights for Vivid LIVE, with their full line ups to be announced in the coming weeks.
To close the Festival, Vivid LIVE and Sydney Film Festival will present the Australian premiere of SHUT UP & PLAY THE HITS, the documentary capturing the week before, the day after and the very occasion of LCD Soundsystem’s Madison Square Garden Farewell concert.
Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House (25 May – 3 June) is part of Vivid Sydney (25 May – 11 June), the city’s annual celebration of light, music and ideas.
Tickets on sale to the General Public Thursday 22 March, 9am (Insiders: 19 March, Vivid LIVE subscribers: 20 March)
Vivid LIVE: sydneyoperahouse.com/vividLIVE
Twitter: @Vivid LIVE @SydOperaHouse
Facebook: facebook.com/vividLIVE
For more information on Vivid Sydney: www.vividsydney.com
Insiders Membership Program: For Vivid LIVE, Sydney Opera House Insiders are exempt from booking fees, get access to an exclusive pre-sale as well as other exclusive benefits. Sydneyoperahouse.com/Insiders
As a major partner of Sydney Opera House, Origin Energy will support Vivid LIVE 2012 by offsetting carbon emissions from this year’s Festival.