SYDNEY, NSW. — The Opera House was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973. The opening was celebrated with fireworks and a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Prior to this, however, Sergei Prokofiev’s ‘War and Peace’ was played at the Opera Theatre on September 28, 1973.
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and New South Wales Premier Robert Askin also attended.
The following day, the first public performance was held, with a programme performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Mackerras and with accompanying singer Birgit Nilsson.
The Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, sits on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour. Designed by Danish architect Joern Utzon in 1955, it has become one of the most famous performing arts venues in the world.
Utzon arrived in Sydney to oversee the project in 1957, and work commenced on the Opera House in 1959. The building, famous for its geometric roof shells, was completed in 1973 for $102 million.
