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Deep Listening: The Story of Pauline Oliveros

A film about Pauline Oliveros, the iconic composer, performer, teacher, philosopher, innovator and humanitarian.

Doors: 7pm

The screening will start at 7:30

Tickets: £10 [£7 concessions]


Pauline Oliveros 1932-2016 composer, performer, humanitarian, was an important pioneer in American Music. Acclaimed internationally, for six decades she explored sound-forging new ground for herself and others. Through improvisation, electronic music, ritual, teaching and meditation she created a body of work with such a breadth of vision that it profoundly effects those who experience it and eludes many who try to write about it. Oliveros was honored withmany awards, including four honorary doctorates, grants and concerts internationally

Whether performing at the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington DC, in an underground Cistern, or in the studios of a West German radio station, Oliveros' commitment to interaction with the moment was unchanged. She could make the sound of a sweeping siren into another instrument of the ensemble. Through Deep Listening Pieces and earlier Sonic Meditations, Oliveros introduced the concept of incorporating all environmental sounds into musical performance. To make a pleasurable experience of this requires focused concentration, skilled musicianship, and strong improvisational skills, which are hallmarks of Oliveros' form. She built a loyal following through her concerti, recordings, publications, and musical compositions that she wrote for soloists and ensembles in music dance, theatre, and inter-arts companies. She also provided leadership within the music community by acting in an advisory capacity for organizations such as The National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, and many private foundations. She served as Distinguished Research Professor of Music at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Darius Milhaud Composer in Residence at Mills College. Oliveros was vocal about representing the needs of individual artistis, about the need for diversity and experimentation in the arts and promoting cooperation and good will among people. She founded the Deep Listening Institute, formerly Pauline Oliveros Foundation, and now Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer.


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