NSW: The art beat of Sydney

The stunning, atmospheric floating barge performance of Verdi's 'Aida'. Photo / Supplied

Sydney's arts community wants the city to become the country's cultural capital, finds Lynley Bilby.

Electronic pulses reverberate around the small room. Sharp high-pitched harmonics pierce the air, competing with a continuous rumbling bass. With the slightest movement, a guitar suspended from a ceiling moves, producing another layer of unscripted noise.
My senses are under assault.

This is a cutting-edge collaborative instalment at Galerie Pompom in one of Sydney's modern-art precincts. In a matter of hours, I will be making a giant musical leap listening to a Verdi opera written in the 19th century.

Welcome to Sydney, where the arts community is pitching itself as the reason for hopping on a plane and heading to New South Wales.

It's quite a leap of faith to perform a musical event outdoors for a month without shelter but this is Handa Opera, in its fourth year and a firm fixture on Sydney's art calendar.

A giant pontoon has been transformed into a floating stage. An enormous bust of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti dwarfs the split-level stage. This year's opera, Aida, is the biggest production to date, with more than 700 people involved in preparing the stage for opening night.

The setting is breathtaking. Sydney Opera House and the harbour bridge to one side and the lush grounds of Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens on the other. A little beyond is the towering skyline of the CBD.

'Aida' is the biggest Handa Opera production to date, with more than 700 people involved in preparing the stage for opening night. Photo / Supplied

It's dusk when the first notes are played from an orchestra hidden beneath the stage. I sit transfixed. The stunning cityscape becomes a curtain to the performance. Only in brief lulls between scenes do I notice evening has turned to night, a brightly lit ferry scooting across the harbour reminds me I am in an open-air amphitheatre at the edge of a busy waterway.

The performance is magnificent. Illuminated subtitles either side of the stage help piece together the love triangle, battle scenes and temple rituals and the majestic triumphal march, complete with camel train, is fitting for the grandeur of this production.

The following night I am in the city's most iconic building - the Sydney Opera House - watching one of my favourite comedians take the stage. Most New Zealanders know Jane Turner as Kath from Kath & Kim.

She is making her debut in the Sydney Theatre Company's production of Jumpy, a role far removed from her television alter ego.

The new West End production has a full house. Mainly women file in to watch a performance that tackles themes of parenting and personal ambition.

My final night is spent at the Capitol Theatre to see the latest production of popular stage show Les Miserables.

'Les Miserables' at Sydney's Capitol Theatre sparked singing and tears in the audience. Photo / Supplied

"I am so excited about tonight's performance I could cry right now," says a woman taking her seat next to me.

"How do you feel about people who sing in musicals?" she asks me.

I tell her I don't mind. I should have asked to borrow some tissues.

We both quietly cry through scenes where hearts are broken and lives taken too soon. Moments of sorrow fill the auditorium. It somehow seems so real.

I am gorging on a feast of entertainment. Whichever way I turn there is something creative to tantalise artistic cravings.

Music, however, is just one part of the equation.

"People are finding Sydney is an artistic destination in its own right," says Australian artist Isobel Johnston. "Until now it has been known for other things but now they're getting some insight into its cultural life."

Johnston, an art specialist who takes tours through Sydney galleries, points to Chippendale as a good example of a blossoming arts precinct.

Once rundown and with a reputation for nefarious dealings, this quarter is in the throes of a rejuvenation led by the arts community.

Galleries and shared spaces provide platforms for emerging artists. Colourful murals adorn once-neglected narrow thoroughfares.

"It's about nurturing young artists and making a commitment to the community," says Johnston.

Instrumental in this change is the White Rabbit Gallery, the city's first privately funded public museum. Its focus is 21st-century Chinese art and it boasts one of the world's largest private collections.

Since only a fraction of the 1000-plus works can be housed in the gallery, the gallery holds two new exhibitions a year, each involving a complete rehang.

Across the road, a high-rise complex combining offices, shops and apartments continues the art trail. A giant halo towers in the middle of a village green, balancing on a ceramic ball.

Enormous hanging gardens blanket the sides of apartments. Urban living is interacting with art.

"It's a Government requirement that there's some kind of art," says Johnston.

On an upper level, we find the Ambush Gallery, a philanthropic space dedicated to emerging artists.

Within this area one of New Zealand's most heralded surf-culture artists is part of an exhibition looking back at 30 years of "shelf-indulgence".

Despite not being a surfer, expat-Kiwi Chris O'Doherty - better known as Reg Mombassa - has been instrumental in steering the irreverent artistic direction of Australian surf-wear Mambo for three decades.

"He has been able to poke fun at the Oz way of life," says gallery manager Sep Pourbozrji.

"That's probably a throwback to Australia being a surreal place to people surfing here.

"Mambo had no boundaries. They told him to bring in his sketch book 'and show us what you have'."

The art installation is a treasure trove of clothing bearing the colourful, quirky prints that have made the brand iconic in Australia.

The Lucky Country continues to provide opportunities for New Zealanders in the arts. Hayden Tee plays Javert in Les Miserables and bass-baritone Conal Coad plays a lead role in Aida.

Five other Kiwis are involved in the dance troupe or chorus.

For Hamiltonian singer Katherine Wiles, her job with Opera Australia feels like having her cake and eating it.

"I've been very fortunate as the Chorus is one of a few full-time jobs as an opera singer in Australasia."

This is the first time she has taken part in the Handa Opera's outdoor series and she admits it has taken some adjustment.

"It's quite a change for us as we are used to performing in the Opera House and not being out among the elements. I've never been so obsessed with the weather App on my phone."

And when the feared deluge came last week it added an unexpected dimension to the performance.

"We were amazed [the audience] saw it through, and they were just so appreciative that we kept going. It adds something very special to a show, and the applause at the end was unforgettable."

A bed in Kent St

The Langham in Kent Street, Sydney. Photo / Supplied

The Langham in Sydney's Kent St is a welcome refuge for a travel-weary tourist to return to each day.

My newly refurbished room with a western harbour view oozed comfort and its location near The Rocks meant it escaped the sounds of early morning commuters and office workers.

It was handy to downtown Sydney waterfront venues, including the Opera House, and only a further five minutes to the Botanic Gardens to explore Old Government House, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

The adjoining Kent Street Kitchen was the perfect place to start the day, offering an enormous array of fresh fruit and continental or cooked breakfasts.

An added treat was high tea in the Palm Court, an indulgent experience direct from the London flagship hotel.

The writer flew courtesy of Destination NSW.