A Festival Begins Together: Mena Mark Hanna Opens Spoleto Festival USA 2026
On a warm Charleston afternoon in front of City Hall, General Director & CEO Mena Mark Hanna officially opened the 2026 season of Spoleto Festival USA with remarks that reflected on the role of art, civic life, and collective imagination at a defining moment in […]
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Jonathan Green and Cathy Marino Awarded the 2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award
Spoleto Festival USA is proud to announce Jonathan Green and Cathy Marino as the 2026 recipients of the Mary Ramsay Civic Award, a distinction celebrating local philanthropic and public leaders who have made extraordinary contributions to the Charleston community. 2026 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Honorees, […]
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Spoleto Spotlight Weekend: A First Look at the 2026 Festival
Spoleto Spotlight Weekend, held February 26–28, offered a vibrant preview of what’s to come, bringing together supporters and Festival leadership for a series of unforgettable events celebrating the artists and ideas shaping the 2026 season. Across three dynamic gatherings, guests experienced the spirit of Spoleto—up […]
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The New York Times Names Charleston and Spoleto Festival USA Must-Experience Destinations for America250
The New York Times is calling Charleston one of the country’s must-visit destinations for America’s 250th anniversary celebrations—and highlighting Spoleto Festival USA as a defining part of the city’s cultural experience. In the national feature “A Summer Travel Checklist for America’s 250th Birthday,” Charleston appears […]
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BroadwayWorld Highlights New Live from Spoleto 2025 Chamber Music Release
Spoleto Festival USA is once again drawing national attention, with coverage from BroadwayWorld.com highlighting the release of Live from Spoleto 2025: Chamber Music, Vol. 2 “Vivaldi Meets Vahdat,” the latest recording from the Festival’s acclaimed Bank of America Chamber Music series. Released in partnership with […]
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Garden & Gun Editors Share Their Spoleto Must-Sees
Spoleto is honored to be featured in Garden & Gun, whose editors shared the “Spoleto Festival Shows Our Editors Don’t Want to Miss.” Art director Julia Knetzer is eagerly anticipating the U.S. premiere of Mary, Queen of Scots by Scottish Ballet. After watching everything she […]
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Paul Wiancko’s Agrifolia Honors Geoff Nuttall’s Legacy
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 […]
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Zuill Bailey and the Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra Premiere Michael Abels’s Rhapsody on Omar
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 […]
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World Premiere of George + George Champions Freedom of Expression
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 […]
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