William Yang with arms outstretched stands with the ocean and dark clouds behind him, and a small white dog at his feet.

Milestone

Tickets

Presented by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Asia TOPA, Arts Centre Melbourne

MilestoneWilliam Yang and the MSO with Elena Kats-Chernin

Asia TOPA opens with a landmark new commission by one of Australia’s most celebrated artists.

Dates

20 February 2025

Venue

Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne

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 by the Melbourne Symphony 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.

Note: The performance contains adult themes, images of a sexual nature and full frontal nudity. Recommended for ages 16+.

Playking Foundation
Robert Salzer Foundation


Lead image: George Gittoes
Images: William Yang


“All 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 and 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 and reflect on the things that are truly important.”

— John McDonald, Sydney Morning Herald.