Having reached his milestone 80th birthday, pioneering artist William Yang reflects on his extraordinary life in this epic new performance. Yang’s iconic photographs and captivating stories are complemented by a haunting score performed live with orchestra.
Internationally acclaimed Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin — a long-time friend and collaborator of Yang’s — composed a moving score especially for Milestone, and will perform live on stage alongside the Orchestra for this performance.
Yang is a trailblazing champion of Asian–Australian culture internationally. He documented the birth of Australia’s LGBTQI+ rights movement from the early days of Sydney’s 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’s bohemian artist community.
Milestone is Yang’s most ambitious and personal performance to date. Don’t miss this one-night-only encounter with a legend of Asia-Pacific performance sharing his stories of immigration, sexuality, creativity and family.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD
"Yang has produced a body of work that speaks a universal language, inviting us to forget about those differences that are only skin deep and reflect on the things that are truly important."
PERFORMANCES
Brisbane Festival
9 Sep
QPAC, Concert Hall
Performed with Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra
TICKETS
CREDITS
Creator/Performer/Co-director William Yang
Composer/Pianist Elena Kats Chernin
Dramaturg/Co-director Tessa Leong
Conductor Simon Bruckard
Production Manager Neil Simpson
Technical Director Daniel Herten
Producer Fenn Gordon for Tandem
Auspiced by Performance Space
PREVIOUS SEASONS
Sydney Festival
10 -11 January 2025
Roslyn Packer Theatre (The Thirsty Mile), Walsh Bay Arts Precinct
Asia TOPA
20 February
Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
Performed live by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
SUPPORTED BY
Commissioned by Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Festival and Contemporary Asian Australian Performance.
Milestone is supported by Playking Foundation and the Robert Salzer Foundation, with additional support from Creative Australia and City of Sydney.
Thank you to Lyle Chan & Jackie Thomas-Piccardi; Jeff Khan, Tam Nguyen & the Asia TOPA team; Olivia Ansell, Rosa Coyle-Hayward & the Sydney Festival team; Sandi Woo & the CAAP team.
Hero image
Photo credit: George Gittoes
