A masterful blend of storytelling, photography, and music that captures the essence of personal and collective histories, William Yang’s Milestone has made its Victorian premiere at Hamer Hall as part of Asia TOPA 2025, following its world premiere at the Sydney Festival earlier this year.
Yang’s signature narrative style – intimate, poetic, and deeply moving is elevated by Elena Kats-Chernin’s evocative composition, which weaves through the production like an emotional undercurrent, enhancing every moment with much depth and nuance.
Drawing on his vast archive, Yang’s ability to seamlessly fuse his personal journey with broader cultural themes is on full display here.
From growing up Chinese in regional Australia (Dimbulah, North Queensland) in the 50s, to coming out gay in the 60s, to documenting Sydney’s burgeoning gay and artistic subculture throughout the 70s & 80s and beyond, his photographic storytelling is as striking as ever.
Through his evolving relationship with family and culture, Yang also embarks on a deeply introspective journey, acknowledging past and internal struggles, to ultimately reclaim his Chinese heritage
Kats-Chernin’s score, at once lyrical, dynamic, and profoundly affecting, acts as the perfect companion, heightening the drama and illuminating the delicate interplay of memory, identity, and transformation, is brilliantly interpretated by the musicians of the Melbourne Sydney Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Ben Northey.
A stunning meditation on time, loss, and the enduring beauty of human connection, Milestone is a triumph.
William Yang: Milestone
Hamer Hall – Arts Centre Melbourne, St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Performance: Thursday 20 February 2025
Information: www.asiatopa.com.au
Image: William Yang in Milestone at Hamer Hall – photo by Michael Pham
Review: Rohan Shearn