Blog

Dr. Amanda Quist’s debut season as Music Director of the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus marked an immediate artistic high point for the ensemble, earning praise for its clarity, cohesion, and expressive range. Becoming the first woman to lead the Chorus in the Festival’s history, she […]

Calling Spoleto Festival USA her “training ground,” Grammy-winning soprano Renée Fleming returned to the Festival in the 2026 season for the debut of her collaborative project The Fiddle and the Drum, presented on May 23, 2026, at the Charleston Gaillard Center alongside Grammy-winning banjo virtuoso Béla […]

Spoleto Festival USA presented the U.S. premiere of Opera Queensland’s production of Dido and Aeneas in association with Circa on May 23, 2026, at the College of Charleston Sottile Theatre.  This innovative staging weaves heart‑stopping acrobatics by Circa into Henry Purcell’s masterful Baroque opera, pairing […]

Composed in 1939 as a radio opera by Spoleto Festival USA founder Gian Carlo Menotti, The Old Maid and the Thief made its Festival debut on May 22, 2026, at the historic Dock Street Theatre. Originally conceived for radio, the work was designed from the outset […]

Scottish Ballet’s newest creation, Mary, Queen of Scots, arrived at Spoleto Festival USA 2026 as “a bold and innovative feast for the senses,” as The Post and Courier praised. The production made its U.S. premiere at the Charleston Gaillard Center on May 28, running through […]

Paul Wiancko’s Violin Concerto No. 1: Agrifolia received its Spoleto Festival USA premiere on June 4, 2026, with the Festival Orchestra and acclaimed violinist Livia Sohn performing under the direction of music director Timothy Myers at the Charleston Gaillard Center. Wiancko, who serves as the Festival’s Director […]

Building on the success of the Pulitzer Prize–winning opera Omar, which premiered at Spoleto Festival USA in 2022, the Festival presented the world premiere of composer Michael Abels’s new cello concerto, Rhapsody on Omar, during its 2026 season.  Grammy-winning cellist Zuill Bailey joined the Festival Orchestra for […]

Spoleto Festival USA commissioned and produced George + George as a centerpiece of its America 250 programming, commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. The staged reading had its world premiere at the Festival on May 29, 2026, at the College of Charleston’s Emmett Robinson Theatre. Co-creators […]

Spoleto Festival USA has released Live from Spoleto 2025: Chamber Music, Vol. 1, a new album capturing the artistry and immediacy of the Festival’s Bank of America Chamber Music series. Recorded live during the 2025 Festival, the album is now available to stream.    “Spoleto […]

Spoleto Festival USA will partner with the International African American Museum during the 2026 Festival to present screenings of HOMEGOING, a 10-minute short film presented in conjunction with Spoleto’s presentation of Davóne Tines & THE TRUTH: REVIVAL.  Created by filmmaker Julie Dash and Davóne Tines, HOMEGOING is a collaborative musical tribute honoring the Emanuel […]

The 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards celebrated excellence across musical genres, and several artists appearing at Spoleto Festival USA 2026 were among this year’s honorees. Five Festival performers received GRAMMY nominations across jazz, pop, roots, and instrumental categories—and one took home a GRAMMY Award.  Sullivan Fortner […]

A cornerstone of the Festival and one of its most cherished traditions, the 2026 Bank of America Chamber Music series features 11 programs performed by an internationally acclaimed roster of artists, presenting some of the most remarkable and enchanting works in chamber music spanning centuries of […]

Spoleto Festival USA is pleased to announce that acclaimed composer, flutist, and producer Allison Loggins-Hull will serve as the 2026 Suzan D. Boyd Composer-in-Residence. Celebrated as a musical “powerhouse” by The Washington Post, Loggins-Hull brings a bold, genre-defying voice to the Festival, expanding the expressive […]

It’s been 40 years since Scottish Ballet made its American debut at Spoleto Festival USA, performing La Sylphide and Othello in 1986. Over four decades, the company has returned to Charleston for landmark performances that have captivated audiences—and in 2026, Scottish Ballet will return for […]

No doubt one of Spoleto Festival USA’s most beloved venues, the College of Charleston’s Cistern Yard enchants with towering live oaks draped in Spanish moss, making it one of the most picturesque settings in the city. But what makes this audience favorite truly special? Read […]

Festival Hall on Beaufain Street plays home to a variety of productions at Spoleto Festival USA, a tribute to its versatility as a venue. Essentially a 10,000+ sq. ft. black box theater, it’s the only Festival venue operated by Spoleto Festival USA and it offers […]

As perhaps the most beloved venue at Spoleto, the Dock Street Theatre is situated in the heart of historic downtown Charleston. For both first-time and returning Spoleto Festival USA attendees, here are six hidden secrets about the Dock Street Theatre that you can bring with […]

Home to many Spoleto Festival USA performances, the Gaillard Center is close to our hearts—figuratively and literally, as it stands just a few steps from the Festival headquarters at 14 George. Undoubtedly, though, there are many Hidden Secrets of the Gaillard.     1. It […]

Behind a shimmering King Street marquee is the historic Sottile Theatre, a now College of Charleston theater that has become a staple venue for the Festival. After many rounds of renovations, this vintage movie house is now a roomy 900-seat house with an extended stage, […]