The Library of Maps: An Opera in Many Parts

Long Beach Opera presents The Library of Maps: An Opera in Many Parts, the third performance of the 2024-25 season focusing on the revolutionary works of Pauline Oliveros.

Step aboard the iconic RMS Queen Mary for the landmark premiere of a new performance edition of Oliveros and Roth’s groundbreaking opera—only the second presentation since its debut in 2001. Audiences will have the chance to experience one of Oliveros’ most inventive, improvisational and poetic operas set against the ocean liner’s storied 1960s backdrop. This new production pays tribute to Pauline Oliveros' experimental spirit, bringing together actors, singers, visual art, dance and deep poetic meaning with a rare orchestral ensemble featuring accordion, trombone and traditional Japanese koto. Each of the two performances, slightly distinct, offers an immersive encounter with Oliveros' decades of boundary-dissolving musical innovation, all within one of Long Beach’s most treasured historic venues.

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.