Opera Australia concert · Sydney
Opera Australia singers and a pianist perform famous arias by Verdi, Puccini, Bizet and Rossini in the Joan Sutherland Theatre.
Famous arias you half know already, sung live inside the building on Bennelong Point.
Why the Opera House
The Danish architect Jørn Utzon won an international competition for the Opera House in 1957, and the building opened in 1973. The concert is held inside that building, so an evening of arias here is tied to the place as much as to the music.
Opera Australia says the Sydney Opera House became the permanent Sydney performance home of the company. The Joan Sutherland Theatre, where this concert is held, is the home of Opera Australia, the Australian Ballet and Bangarra Dance Theatre.
Great Opera Hits is a concert of arias with a pianist. Opera Australia calls its concerts relaxed and describes them as a way to hear famous arias from Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi and more. Guests who were new to opera describe it as fun and entertaining.
The composers
Opera Australia names Bizet, Puccini, Rossini and Verdi, "and more". These cards show what each composer's best-known arias are like and where they come from. They are not a setlist.
Georges BizetFrench · 1838–1875
Carmen was first performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris in 1875. The Habanera and the Seguidilla from act 1 and the Toreador Song from act 2 are among the best known of all operatic arias. Bizet died within months of the premiere, unaware that Carmen would prove a spectacular and enduring success.
Giacomo PucciniItalian · 1858–1924
La bohème had its world premiere at the Teatro Regio in Turin in 1896. Turandot was left unfinished when Puccini died, and premiered in 1926. Its aria Nessun dorma, "Let no one sleep", is one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera.
Gioachino RossiniItalian · 1792–1868
The Barber of Seville premiered at the Teatro Argentina in Rome in 1816 and is considered one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music. Figaro's entrance aria, Largo al factotum, is often noted as one of the most difficult baritone arias to perform.
Giuseppe VerdiItalian · 1813–1901
Both Rigoletto and La traviata were first staged at La Fenice in Venice, in 1851 and 1853. La donna è mobile, the Duke's aria in Rigoletto, was sung in the streets the morning after the premiere, and La traviata has a famous drinking song, the brindisi.
Casts and programmes differ by date. Read each card as a taste of the evening, and not as a promise that any piece will be sung.
The building
Four points in time explain how a headland on Sydney Harbour became a concert venue.
The Opera House stands on Tubowgule, a point that its own history describes as a place for ceremony, gathering and celebration in Aboriginal Australia. The present name, Bennelong Point, honours Woollarawarre Bennelong, a member of the Wangal people at the time of the colonists' arrival.
In 1957 the winner of the international competition was announced: Design 218, by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The competition drew entries from 28 countries, and the judges called the design controversial because of its originality, while saying they were convinced of its merits.
Utzon left Australia in 1966, and an Australian team headed by Peter Hall completed the building. The roof carries 1,056,006 tiles of the kind known as the Sydney Tile. Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the Opera House in 1973.
UNESCO describes the Opera House as a great architectural work of the 20th century. It comprises three groups of interlocking vaulted shells, which roof two main performance halls and a restaurant. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
House and drawings
The Opera House lit at night, the tiled shells, two foyers of the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Utzon's drawing of the halls, a ferry in 1973 and the great steps.
Opera House options to compare
| Option | What it offers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Great Opera Hits concert | About 90 minutes of famous arias by Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi and more, sung by Opera Australia singers with piano, in the Joan Sutherland Theatre. | Anyone who wants to hear opera in the building, with no experience needed. |
| Opera House guided tour | A one-hour guided walking tour of the halls and foyer spaces with an entrance ticket and a live guide in English, German, French or Spanish. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. | Daytime visitors who want the building's story and Utzon's design. |
| Tour with a meal and a drink | The one-hour guided tour followed by one main meal and a drink at a harbourside venue on the site, chosen from a selection. Guides speak English, French or Spanish. | A daytime visit that adds a meal on the harbour. |
Evenings and days at the Opera House
Card one is the Great Opera Hits concert. Cards two and three are separate bookings for tours of the building, each rated and priced on its own.
About 90 minutes of famous arias by Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi and more, sung by Opera Australia singers with piano, in the Joan Sutherland Theatre.
Look up dates ↗A one-hour guided walking tour of the halls and foyer spaces with an entrance ticket and a live guide in English, German, French or Spanish. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Look up dates ↗The one-hour guided tour followed by one main meal and a drink at a harbourside venue on the site, chosen from a selection. Guides speak English, French or Spanish.
Look up dates ↗Other things to book in Sydney
Before you arrive
The concert, the hall and the arias: guides
Seats, booking, the other ways in How to book Great Opera Hits at the Sydney Opera House: what the concert is, who sings, how to choose a date and seat, and the other ways in.
Go to this guide → Getting there, doors, what to wear The practical guide to a concert at the Sydney Opera House: getting to Bennelong Point, the single entrance, doors, bags, dress, late arrival and access.
Go to this guide →FAQ
About 90 minutes with one interval, as Opera Australia lists it. The calendar entry for your date shows the start time.
Famous arias by Bizet, Puccini, Rossini, Verdi and more, sung by Opera Australia singers with piano. Programme and cast change from date to date, so this page promises no particular piece.
No. It is a relaxed concert of arias with a pianist, not a staged opera with an orchestra.
Opera Australia says the performance is in multiple languages, with English and Simplified Chinese surtitles.
There is no mandatory dress code. An extra layer is recommended for comfort.
No. Filming and photography are not permitted inside the venue unless authorised, and cameras are not allowed.
Ushers close the doors at show time and may not let latecomers in until there is an appropriate pause in the performance.
The GetYourGuide ticket for this concert is non-refundable, so book once your dates are settled.
No. This is an independent guide. The Sydney Opera House and Opera Australia are separate bodies, and the links on this page lead to GetYourGuide.
Fares here are shown per person in US dollars. The booking calendar converts them to your currency.