Spoleto Festival USA

by Dawn Hunter

Spoleto Festival USA is an annual performing arts festival held in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1977, it showcases opera, theater, dance, chamber, symphonic, and jazz music. The event attracts international artists and visitors throughout the South East and beyond. Charleston’s historic district transforms its venues into performance stages for the performances.

Key facts

• Location: Charleston, South Carolina, United States

• Founded: 1977 by Gian Carlo Menotti

• Timing: Late May through early June each year

• Genres: Opera, theater, dance, classical, and jazz music

• Sister Festival: Festival dei Due Mondi (Spoleto, Italy)

This is an image of the Spoleto Festival Opening with confetti falling in front of a white building.

This is an image of a contemporary musical group performing in stage. They are in front of a building illuminated with red and purple lighting.

Origins and mission

Encouraging cross-cultural exchange between established and emerging artists the festival showcases the most innovative and experimental music, dance and theatre. Founded in 1956 by Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti, the festival is regarded as the American equivalent to Italy's Festival dei Due Mondi. Menotti chose Charleston because of its "old world" architecture - the most European city in the USA - which he felt provided the perfect setting for such an occasion as the festival grows and the city becomes a more and more thriving arts community.

This is an outdoor performance by a group of four musicians. The stage is lit with yellow light and they are performing in front of a building illuminated in red light.

Artistic scope and programming

Performances at the festival range from multidisciplinary new works to fully staged operas, presented in a variety of venues from the Dock Street Theatre to outdoor venues, churches and other pop-up spaces. As the festival has grown in popularity it has attracted the biggest stars in the music world, from singer Renée Fleming to cellist Yo-Yo Ma and string quartet Emerson String Quartet. Many new operas are commissioned for the festival and there are many opportunities for young performers to appear alongside leading artists.

This is a classical music orchastra performing with a choir.

Economic and cultural impact

The Spoleto Festival USA is the premier cultural event for our city, drawing tens of thousands of guests each year and generating tens of millions of dollars for Charleston. The Festival still exerts considerable influence on the programming of the city’s arts organizations, and Charleston remains one of the best places in the country to encounter great art of almost all disciplines.

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