Blog

The Spoleto Festival USA community is deeply saddened by the passing of Scott Nickrenz, a visionary chamber musician and the director of the festival’s beloved Chamber Music series for over a decade. Nickrenz, who died March 17 at the age of 87, leaves behind a […]

Spoleto Festival USA announced today the lineup for its 49th Festival taking place from May 23 to June 8. Charleston’s enchanting backdrop sets the stage for more than 120 unforgettable performances, including six world premieres and two U.S. premieres across opera, theater, music, and dance. […]

From Friday, May 24 to Sunday, June 9, 2024, the 48th Season of Spoleto Festival USA transformed Charleston into a vibrant, international hub of artistic expression. Over the course of 17 days, 13 venues hosted more than 100 performances, featuring 389 artists in 21 unique […]

Spoleto Festival USA today announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere performances of Ruinous Gods, a new full-length chamber opera by composer Layale Chaker and librettist Lisa Schlesinger at Spoleto Festival USA 2024. Announced earlier this year, the work explores the trauma […]

Cellist and composer Paul Wiancko will become the next Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Director of Chamber Music, debuting in the role in the 2024 season. Wiancko’s appointment marks the first time in the Festival’s history that the standing director is both a performer […]

Spoleto Festival USA’s General Director & CEO Mena Mark Hanna announced today the appointment of conductor Timothy Myers as music director of the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, one of the world’s most prestigious ensembles for emerging musicians. In his new role, Myers will lead its […]

Today, Spoleto Festival USA’s General Director and CEO Mena Mark Hanna announced the appointment of Rachel Coker as Chief Advancement Officer. Coker joins the team following a months-long search conducted by Isaacson, Miller, with support from Festival Board members and senior staff.  A talented and […]

Omar, the transformative opera by Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels centering the story of an enslaved Muslim scholar, received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize in Music, Columbia University announced today. The work was recognized for its expansion of the traditional opera canon, challenging its standard practice […]

Geoff Nuttall, co-founder and first violinist of the St. Lawrence String Quartet and Spoleto’s Charles E. and Andrea L. Director of Chamber Music, passed away last week after undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer. Like many Charlestonians and Spoleto supporters, I shared a deep, abiding friendship […]

From May 27 to June 12, 2022, audiences from 49 states and nine countries flocked to Spoleto Festival USA, the annual celebratory compendium of music, theater, opera, and dance, with more than 48,000 ticket holders and $2.7 million in sales. As the first full festival […]

Ahead of its 47th season, America’s premier performing arts festival forges a plan for future growth On November 2, 2022, Spoleto Festival USA General Director and CEO Mena Mark Hanna announced the appointments of Brent Dickman (Chief Financial Officer), Dexter Foxworth (Chief Operating Officer), Liz […]