Image: Photo: Heidrun Lohr
One of Australia鈥檚 most celebrated artists, William Yang reflects on his extraordinary life in an epic new performance this February.
Celebrating his 80th milestone birthday, this opening night performance taking place at Asia TOPA, brings into focus Yang鈥檚 incredible life and photographic archives, documenting Asian-Australian identity and queer culture. Yang鈥檚 photographs and captivating stories are complemented by a haunting score performed live by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Internationally-acclaimed Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin鈥攁 long-time friend and collaborator of Yang鈥檚鈥攃omposed a moving score especially for Milestone, and will perform live on stage alongside the Orchestra and conductor Benjamin Northey for this performance.
Some of Yang鈥檚 most iconic work documents the birth of Australia鈥檚 LGBTQIA+ rights movement from the early days of Sydney鈥檚 Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras to the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and 90s.
Unassuming, evocative and honestly examined, Yang looks back on his vast archive of photography, contemplating five decades of social change and the evolution of Australia鈥檚 bohemian artist community.
Milestone is Yang鈥檚 . Don鈥檛 miss this one-night-only encounter with a legend of Asia-Pacific performance sharing his stories of immigration, sexuality, creativity and family.
鈥淎ll of us have similar stories….We have our own landscapes that we carry around in our minds, a gallery of missing friends, a personal list of life-changing moments, of triumphs & regrets. By focusing on his own life, Yang has produced a body of work that speaks a universal language, inviting us to forget about those differences that are only skin deep & reflect on the things theatre truly important.鈥� (John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald).
Milestone: William Yang and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with Elena Kats-Chernin
Thursday 20 February at 7:30pm
Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
Tickets
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