Filter by
Australian Youth Orchestra

Australian Youth Orchestra

When

Monday 10 July 2023 from 8pm to 10pm

Cost

Starting from: $25 to $59

Australian Youth Orchestra present the world premiere orchestral performance of Ngapa William Cooper – composed and written by Nigel Westlake, Lior and Lou Bennett AM, with additional lyrics by Sarah Gory.

Join the Australian Youth Orchestra as they perform three sweeping works inspired by the tenacity of the human spirit at Sydney Opera House on Monday 10 July 2023.

Ngapa William Cooper premiered at the Adelaide Festival in 2023 and was born out of a rich collaboration between composer Nigel Westlake, singer-songwriter Lior, and performer and academic Dr Lou Bennett AM. With Westlake leading from the podium, these acclaimed artists will bring their dynamic stage presence to the orchestral premiere commissioned by AYO.

Ngapa William Cooper explores the strength and compassion of Yorta Yorta activist Uncle William Cooper. In 1938, Cooper led the Australian Aborigines’ League through the streets of Melbourne in the only non-Jewish protest worldwide against the events of Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany. Using English and Yorta Yorta language, it is a celebration of a man who left behind a ‘legacy of resistance, solidarity and empathy’.  

The concert opens with Westlake’s The Glass Soldier, originally written for Hannie Rayson’s play of the same name. It is dedicated to the memory Nelson Ferguson, a WW1 veteran and artist, and was commissioned by Ferguson’s grandson Don Farrands.

This will be followed by the orchestral premiere of Beneath the Waves, the distillation of Westlake’s score for 2022 motion picture Blueback. Star cellist Sharon Grigoryan will feature as soloist. Blueback takes its story from Tim Winton’s 1997 novel and follows a mother and daughter’s fight to protect Australia’s precious coral reefs. 

The premiere orchestral performance of Ngapa William Cooper will be held during 2023 NAIDOC Week that will coincide with the Canberra performance on 09 July.  NAIDOC Week is a time to for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories. To acknowledge this, BlakTix (discounted tickets for First Nations audience members) will be available for both performances.

Contact event organiser

Australian Youth Orchestra

Advertisement

Other events at Sydney Opera House

The Sydney Opera House Tour

The Sydney Opera House Tour

Uncover untold stories, anecdotes and history – the magic beneath the sails
Tomorrow
A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Shakespeare’s classic comedy is reawakened in this breathless production brimming with magic, mirth and mayhem.
Tomorrow
Sarah Grunstein

Sarah Grunstein

Internationally acclaimed Australian pianist
4 Apr 2024
No Pay? No Way!

No Pay? No Way!

A thrilling experience that will have you in fits of laughter from beginning to end
6 Apr 2024
Reconnection World Tour

Reconnection World Tour

Acclaimed Belgian pianist and composer Daniel Verstappen, UK violinist Beth Georgiou and special guest Michael De Huy
7 Apr 2024
Osmo Vänskä conducts the Music of Sibelius

Osmo Vänskä conducts the Music of Sibelius

Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä, joins the SSO to celebrate the music of Jean Sibelius and the beauty of their homeland
24 Apr 2024