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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Barrie Kosky, Sydney Opera House

c. 1997 (printed 2017)
Robert McFarlane

inkjet print on paper (sheet: 33.0 cm x 48.5 cm, image: 24.0 cm x 35.9 cm)

Barrie Kosky (b. 1967), theatre and opera director, directed his first play as a student at Melbourne Grammar School in the early 1980s. He studied Piano and Music History at the University of Melbourne, and then established the Gilgul Theatre Company, which he described as 'Australia’s first professional alternative Jewish theatre company'. Never shy of pushing creative boundaries or breaking opera tradition, he has directed over 40 operas for companies throughout Europe and Australia including Molière's Tartuffe for the Sydney Theatre Company, Alban Berg's Wozzeck for the Sydney Opera House, Saul for Glyndebourne Festival, Carmen for the Frankfurt Opera, and Macbeth for the Zurich Opera House. He won the Olivier Award for Best New Opera Production for Castor and Pollux in 2012, and his many other accolades include being named Best Director at the 2014 International Opera Awards, and the Opernwelt opera director of the year award for 2016. From 2001 to 2005 he was co-director of the Vienna Schauspielhaus, and in 2012 he was appointed the 'Intendant and Chefregisseur' of the Komische Oper Berlin. In 2017, his staging of Handel's Saul opened the Adelaide Festival, and he became the first Australian to direct a Wagner production at the Bayreuth Festival in Germany.

Purchased 2017
© Robert McFarlane/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Robert McFarlane (age 55 in 1997)

Barry Kosky (age 30 in 1997)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

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