Earth Ears: A Sonic Ritual

Long Beach Opera presents Earth Ears: A Sonic Ritual, kicking off the 2024-25 season focusing on the revolutionary works of Pauline Oliveros.

The first in the series is an intimate introduction to Oliveros' bold operatic works. This special, one-time-only daytime performance features Earth Ears: A Sonic Ritual—a meditative, interactive text score designed to bring performers and audience together in a powerful act of communal deep listening. Engage in an exploration of sound, listening and daring operatic ideas in this immersive kickoff event.

Award-winning composer, artist and humanitarian Pauline Oliveros (1932–2016) expanded the concept of sound with her potent, genre-defying approach to music and art. As the visionary behind the philosophy of "Deep Listening," her works and practice explored new rituals of performance and ensemble dynamics, while profoundly challenging and redefining the traditional processes of creating "new music" for an entire generation. Oliveros composed many pieces she labeled as “operas” throughout her career–one that "spanned fifty years of making music."(The Pauline Oliveros Trust).

A queer-identifying, Mexican-American artist from Houston, Texas, Oliveros was known for her work across multiple disciplines and styles. She maintained strong connections to California, where she co-founded the San Francisco Tape Music Center and taught at Mills College and the University of California, San Diego. LBO is honored to collaborate with her partner and artistic collaborator, multidisciplinary artist IONE, as well as the Pauline Oliveros Trust and estate, to celebrate and continue her legacy with a year-long exploration of her operatic work.