Opera House Architect Joern Utzon Honored

Late Danish architect Joern Utzon was on Wednesday honoured in Sydney with a state memorial service inside his iconic Opera House.

Traditional Aboriginal dancers performed a dawn smoking ceremony to commemorate Utzon, who designed the heritage-listed building and died last year in Copenhagen aged 90.

Actress Cate Blanchett recited Shakespeare and Australia's ballet, opera and symphony companies filled the caverns of the concert hall with sound and color, bringing the audience of 2,000 to their feet in a standing ovation.

"In addition to its physical beauty, the Sydney Opera House has also played a major role in the development of Australia's artistic and cultural identity," said Arts Minister Peter Garrett.

"The simple fact is the Opera House has come to be recognized throughout the world as one of the defining symbols of Sydney and Australia.

As a nation today, we pause to say thank you to Joern Utzon for giving form to a shared vision for modern Australia."