Sydney Opera House © NSWSydney Tourism Australia / Jonathon‐Marks
Sydney Opera House, © Photo: Jack Atley
Sydney Opera House, © Photo: Jack Atley

Dido and Aeneas at Sydney Opera House

Sydney, Sydney Opera House — Joan Sutherland Theatre

Seating plan Best seats 1 h 10 min Give as a gift card

About the Event

Immerse yourself in the stunning architecture of Sydney's breathtaking Sydney Opera House for the ultimate concert set to awake your understanding of opera.

Dido & Aeneas is a love story for the ages. Bringing together exhilarating acrobatics and extraordinary music, this production is an opera for today.

Aeneas is a hero caught between his destiny and desire. Dido is the woman he must leave behind. For these star‐crossed lovers, fate and romance are on a collision course, and when the smoke clears, Dido’s heart is found among the wreckage.

Purcell’s early opera gave the world one of the most poignant scores ever written and laid the foundation for every opera that came after.

Now, experience the power of Dido & Aeneas in a new staging from Circa Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz, which sets “a new benchmark for opera production in Australia ” (Limelight). Expect jaw‐dropping physical feats from Circa’s talented ensemble alongside stunning voices in this follow‐up to last year’s sell‐out success Orpheus & Eurydice. Libby McDonnell’s glamorous costumes are chic creations of luxe materials and strong silhouettes, and Lifschitz has created a stark, slick set.

It’s always a delight to welcome a rising star home, and we have two in this production: tenor Nicholas Jones is currently a principal artist with Opéra national de Paris and mezzo soprano Anna Dowsley returns to sing Dido after great success overseas. Hear her perform as the doomed Queen of Carthage and sing her famous lament ‘When I am Laid in Earth’.

Practical Information

Performed in English with English surtitles.

Please note
This production contains depictions of nudity and haze effects.

Program

Henry Purcell – Dido & Aeneas

Program is subject to change

Cast / Production

CONDUCTOR
Erin Helyard (13, 15, 22, 25, 29 Mar)
Chad Kelly (18 & 20 Mar)
DIRECTOR & STAGE DESIGNER
Yaron Lifschitz
COSTUME DESIGNER
Libby McDonnell
LIGHTING DESIGNER
Matthew Marshall

DIDO/SORCERESS
Anna Dowsley
AENEAS
Nicholas Jones
BELINDA
Jane Ede
SECOND LADY
Sian Sharp
FIRST WITCH/SPIRIT 'MERCURY'/SAILOR
Kanen Breen

Opera Australia Orchestra
Opera Australia Chorus
Circa Ensemble

Erin Helyard appears courtesy of Pinchgut Opera.

Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House hosts performances from many genres in Sydney, Australia. One of the 20th Century's most famous and distinctive structures, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon as a multiple performance venue. The complex hosts more than 1.2 million people annually with a season of 1,500 performances. Performers include international and local guest artists, and three resident companies: the Sydney Theatre Company, Opera Australia, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Address

Sydney Opera House, Bennelong Point, Sydney, Australia — Google Maps