Long Beach Opera (LBO) presents The Library of Maps: An Opera in Many Parts—Pauline Oliveros’ uniquely experimental opera devised in collaboration with poet and librettist, Moira Roth. Originally premiered in a single whirlwind day in Oakland in 2002, the work now receives its first new production since.

The Library of Maps began as a series of conceptual poems by Roth, a pioneering feminist art historian, writer, and critic. In this multi-part epic, she charted the metaphorical “maps” of human existence—the archives of consciousness, memory, and interior life. The work imagines a dream space centered around a fictional “library” of map collections that spans the “beginning and end” of humanity. These "maps" are not traditional geographic ones, but abstract, poetic texts—memories and dreams that explore themes of time, space, and perception. They often take the form of immersive, multimedia experiences, accompanied by performances, animations, and digital media that document human experience.

The opera was developed in collaboration with revolutionary composer Oliveros, as she explored new technologies and placed a renewed emphasis on text and narrative gesture. LBO’s new production of The Library of Maps pays tribute to Pauline Oliveros’ experimental spirit at the turn of the 21st century, as part of its season dedicated to her work. The piece brings together actors, singers, visual art, dance, and poetry, accompanied by a rare orchestral ensemble blending familiar instruments with unexpected sounds. Each performance is slightly distinct, offering an immersive encounter with Oliveros’ decades of boundary-dissolving musical innovation—all set within one of Long Beach’s most treasured historic venues.