Spoleto Festival USA is proud to announce the 2024 Mary Ramsay Civic Award winners are Kit and Joel Smith and Dr. Mary Thornley. Established in 2012, the Mary Ramsay Civic Award recognizes extraordinary contributions of civic and charitable leadership within the Charleston community. This year’s three recipients were honored at a luncheon on Friday, April 19 at the Governor Thomas Bennett House. Mena Mark Hanna, Spoleto Festival USA General Director and CEO The 2024 Mary Ramsay Civic Award Luncheon was held at the Governor Thomas Bennett House on Friday, April 19. Rachel Coker, Spoleto Fest ..read more

This year, Spoleto Festival USA welcomes Watchhouse, the duo of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz that has been captivating audiences with their blend of bluegrass, folk, and Americana for over a decade. For some they are better known as Mandolin Orange, their namesake until 2021. The change was spurred by loss and new life and indicates both a familiar and refreshingly new act – Watchhouse.  The name Mandolin Orange reflected the core instruments that drove their sound: the mandolin and the orange fiddle. However, the band’s entire catalogue conflicted with the name, an early-20s holdover t ..read more

This year, the Wells Fargo Jazz Series promises an unforgettable journey through the heart of this vibrant musical genre. A captivating adventure through the vast landscape of jazz, this year’s lineup features the iconic sounds of the genre’s legends to the electrifying energy of contemporary artists. So, hit play, let the music wash over you, and get ready to experience the magic of the Wells Fargo Jazz Series at Spoleto Festival USA! Track 1: “Booker’s Garden” – Charles Lloyd Track 2: “Circling” – Terri Lyne Carrington Track 3: “Cómo Fue” – Miguel Zenón, Luis Perdomo Track 4: “Defiant, Tend ..read more

Each year, Spoleto Festival USA presents a rich tapestry of music, theater, opera, and dance in Charleston. Whether you’re a seasoned festivalgoer or a curious newcomer, our 2024 reading list will prime your artistic appetite and set the stage for an unforgettable Spoleto. These are the captivating stories behind this season’s performances, that make up our 2024 Spoleto Festival Reading List: Ahead of The Song of Rome – The Aeneid by Virgil The Latin epic poem written by the Roman poet Virgil, The Aeneid follows Aeneas, Achilles’ mighty foe in the Iliad, beginning an incredible journey to fulf ..read more

Released on his 86th birthday, Charles Lloyd’s new album The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow is garnering rave reviews.  One of the most significant recordings of his seven-decade career, The Sky Will Still Be There Tomorrow is Lloyd’s eleventh Blue Note album and delivers first-time recordings of six new Lloyd compositions including the title track, “The Water Is Rising,” “Late Bloom,” “The Ghost of Lady Day,” “Sky Valley, Spirit of the Forest,” and “When the Sun Comes Up, Darkness Is Gone.”  2024 Wells Fargo Jazz Series performer, Lloyd remains at the peak of his powers in the co ..read more

After decades in the music industry, GRAMMY and CMA Award-winner Brandy Clark is having a breakout year, in addition to her GRAMMY win, she nabbed her first Tony-Award for the Broadway musical Shucked, which she co-wrote, and has embarked on a national tour, performing in key slots at several high-profile music events. The Spoleto Festival USA 2024 Front Row Series performer discussed discovering her sexuality and how teaming up with another gay musician influenced her new album with the Los Angeles Times.   Over the past twenty years, Brandy Clark has written some of the biggest country ..read more

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan is gearing up for her return to Spoleto Festival USA in June, but critics are already raving about her new album All My Friends, proving that the anticipation is well-deserved.     Inspired by the letters and speeches of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt, All My Friends ponders the nation’s evolution in the century since women won the fight for the right to vote.  The nine tracks on the album build a rich, expansive sound upon the singer-songwriter’s harmonious and contemplative trademark style. Conceived and recorded as a ..read more

Old Crow Medicine Show. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Amos Lee. Brandy Clark. Watchhouse. Aoife O’Donovan. Jason Isbell. These acclaimed nationally-touring artists make up the 2024 Front Row series at Spoleto Festival USA.   A titan of classical and jazz music, the Festival has expanded its commercial offerings in recent years bringing nationally touring acts to the atmospheric Cistern Yard for intimate and arresting performances not found anywhere else.  In the lead up to this season, we are sharing our essential listening playlist to get you ready to join us this spring.&nb ..read more

On March 5, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Spoleto alumni Gabriela Díaz and Ayane Kosaza will join the world-renowned chamber group Kronos Quartet in the article, “Two longtime members of Kronos Quartet plan a joint retirement.” Kronos will enter its sixth decade with two female members joining the ensemble, alongside existing members David Harrington and Paul Wiancko.  Both Kosaza and Díaz are alumni of Spoleto’s Bank of America Chamber Music Series. Kosaza appeared at the Festival in 2022 and 2023 and will return in 2024. In addition to the Chamber Music Series, Kosaza performed i ..read more

By Paul Wiancko My father Gene used to tell me that the average person changes careers seven times. In his own lifetime, he enjoyed successful stints in engineering, cartography, and geophysics, before ending up in documentary filmmaking. At first, I interpreted this oft-mentioned fact as a subtle way of informing an unruly young music student that a life in music would be tough, and that I might want to pursue something more pragmatic. But in recent years, as my artistic priorities have twisted into new configurations, I have begun to understand what he meant. Life is short. Embrace change. I ..read more