Adelaide Festival Presents Ennio Morricone and Jonathan Pryce in 2012

An iconic film composer who evoked a world with just two notes and a powerhouse actor who has the blessing of one of the 20th century's most influential playwrights are the first artists announced to be part of the 2012 Adelaide Festival.Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone and acclaimed British actor Jonathan Pryce will make their debut Australian performances at the festival, which runs from Friday, March 2 to Sunday, March 18.

Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Paul Grabowsky said the two events continued the festival's commitment to bringing exciting new works exclusively to Adelaide."I'm thrilled that the people of Adelaide, and our visitors, will have the once in a lifetime opportunity to see these artists make their debut Australian performances," he said.

From the woodwind and wah wah that defined The Good, the Bad and the Ugly to the grand orchestration that characterised his later work, Morricone's musical creations are unforgettable. Yet the Italian maestro is so prolific that he can't remember just how many films he has scored, let alone how many awards he has won among his Golden Lion, Honorary Oscar, Baftas, Golden Globes and Grammys.

The Adelaide Festival is proud to present the once in a lifetime chance to share 60 years of creativity with the legendary composer's composer as he leads the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, six Italian soloists and a massed choir of more than 100 through music from iconic films including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Mission and Cinema Paradiso.Audiences will enjoy sublime music under a balmy summer night sky and gourmet picnic boxes as Morricone delves into his rich musical heritage in his first Australian performance.

Equally significant is Pryce's Australian debut in lauded playwright Harold Pinter's early masterwork The Caretaker. Pinter said simply of the play: "It's about two brothers and a caretaker." More than 50 years since the play's debut that illusion of simplicity has been smashed by the ultimate caretaker, West End powerhouse Pryce, in a production endorsed by Pinter prior to his death.

The play that put Pinter on the theatrical map has been remounted, bringing Pryce to Australia for the first time in an exclusive Adelaide-only season before a tour to the US. Pryce's star turn is not to be missed in one of the twentieth century's most important and compelling plays.