University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign faculty composer Stephen Andrew Taylor updated me on his most recent progress with his work with Portland writer Ursula K. Le Guin and librettist Marcia Johnson on his new opera Paradises Lost, based on Le Guin’s science fiction novella from the story collection The Birthday of the World.

The next draft of the libretto is near completion, and set to receive a reading in Toronto this summer by Tapestry New Opera Works.

Here is a sample of some of the space ship music that will end up in this opera: Agoraphobia and mp3.

He also relayed that his recent gig with Pink Martini and the Oregon Symphony was an “awesome” experience.