Who Are We?
Long Beach Opera is Southern California’s oldest and boldest opera company with over 45 years of innovative and captivating shows. With many programs provided within LBO, the company dedicates itself to helping the underrepresented masses and expanding the world of opera to all. Through our Opera@School initiative, LBO provides free and subsidized operas for K-12 students, promoting the performing arts, language arts, history, and social sciences in fun and striking ways. From immersive performances to community-rooted programming, we continue pushing the art form forward right here in Long Beach.
On September 26th, LBO kicks off a series of shows on the Queen Mary with a trio of experimental performances. An opera soprano, a pop singer, a percussionist, and a saxophone player tackle composer Georges Apherghis’s fascinating scores.
Acquaprofonda. In the summer of 2026 the Aquarium of the Pacific and LBO presented the annual 30-minute, family-friendly opera, Acquaprofonda: Deep Water. The free event hosted more than 1000 attendees over two weekends, with families excitedly writing their positive reviews. Many shared the warning of ocean pollution was a topical and impactful story to tell to young children.
The Passion of Nell is a new opera by composer Shelley Washington, inspired by Nell Theobald, an American singer and model. A workshop in May will lead to the world premiere in 2028.
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Our Impact:
Our productions have told the stories of underrepresented groups and spread the world of opera across LA County. LBO’s dedication to providing accessible, challenging, and entertaining performances has outdone itself with our most recent programs.
Opera@School, LBO’s education program, is determined to give Title 1 schools the chance to learn and explore the world of opera. In 2026 LBO brought their production of The Playground King to over 2,000 students. If you're interested in bringing a performance of The Playground King to your school please reach out to our Education department at Education@longbeachopera.org to schedule a show!
In the most recent seasons, LBO has given a stage to the world’s finest creatives who have not been given the recognition they deserve. In 2026 LBO gave Tiffany Townsend, an acclaimed soprano, a recital to express her full creative vision. Two years prior LBO dedicated their 2024-2025 season to reviving the memory of Pauline Oliveros, an American composer who transformed electronic music with her theory of “deep listening”.
Keeping with our accessibility goal, LBO offers students reduced-priced tickets of $20 after verification.
Testimonials
"...an operatic triumph" -The Los Angeles Times
"The company has an extraordinary record of supporting contemporary work... [James] Darrah appears poised to extend that legacy." -The New Yorker
"[The performance had the] ability to stick in the mind and soul." -The New York Times
"To leave the theater dazed by a new opera — that operates on several topsy-turvy levels at once propelled by nonstop invention — is one thing. To be still processing where the humor ends and the meaning begins, even after time to reflect, is another much rarer and more valuable thing." -The Los Angeles Times
Long Beach Opera's Mission is engaging people through provocative meaningful experiences that challenge, connect and inspire.
Organization name
Long Beach Opera
other names
LBO
Tax id (EIN)
95-3387074
Operating Budget
Large ($1,000,000+)
Mission Category
Arts & Culture
City Council District
District 8
Address
4425 Atlantic AveLong Beach, CA, US