Hundreds of dogs and dog-lovers packed the Sydney Opera House steps and forecourt Saturday for a free concert by Laurie Anderson. (Greg Wood/AFP/Getty Images)

New York performance artist Laurie Anderson can claim her performance on the steps of Australia's Sydney Opera House was a howling success, as she played to an audience of dogs.

Hundreds of canines and their owners showed up at the famous site on Saturday morning for a 20-minute high-pitched performance, Music for Dogs, most of it inaudible to human ears.

"Yo!" Anderson yelled from behind her keyboard. "Beautiful work, dogs!"

Some of the dogs wagged their tails while others wailed. A few were not amused, barking frantically and lunging toward the stage with their owners in tow.

"[The dogs] were grooving," declared Anderson. "They were uninhibited."

The artist led a four-piece band with an assortment of instruments including a synthesizer, saxophone, violin and slide whistle. She opted to have some of the music within range of human ears.

The artist, known for her music and performance pieces, is participating in the month-long Vivid art and music festival in Sydney, which she co-curated with her rock star husband, Lou Reed.

Anderson, who says she often plays for her rat terrier Lollabelle, traces the inspiration for the piece to cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

"We thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if you're playing a concert and you look out and everyone's a dog?'" Anderson said. "So I thought if I ever get a chance to do that, I'm gonna do it. And today was it. So this is like a highlight of my life."

Anderson said Saturday's audience was one of the best-behaved she has ever played for.

"That was the most amazing concert I've ever, ever gotten to give!" she exclaimed. "It's really a dream."

With files from The Associated Press