Spoleto Festival USA, one of America's major performing arts festivals, is full of 17-days worth of events showcasing both established and emerging artists in more than 150 performances of opera, dance, theater, classical music, and jazz.
It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due Mondi (The Festival of Two Worlds) in Spoleto, Italy.
When Italian organizers planned an American festival, they searched for a city that would offer the charm of Spoleto, Italy, and its wealth of theaters, churches, and other performance spaces, and so Charleston it was.
Spoleto Festival USA Box Office
Charleston Gaillard Center
95 Calhoun St
Charleston SC 29401
(843) 579-3100
Spoleto Festival USA Website
Festival Digital Brochure
Dates: May 25 - June 11, 2023
Festival Venues:
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Thursday, May 25
7:30PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
Friday, May 26
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
5:30PM |
A Poet's Love • Acclaimed tenor Jamez McCorkle both sings and accompanies himself on piano in this multilayered production of Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe, set against a backdrop of magical projections and stagecraft. |
7:00PM |
Celebrating Geoff Nuttall • A star-studded tribute to Spoleto’s late Director of Chamber Music, renowned chamber soloists, special guests, and the Festival Orchestra all perform in honor of Nuttall’s boundary-breaking musical genius. |
9:00PM |
Leyla McCalla • New Orleans-based singer and multi-instrumentalist Leyla McCalla mines her Haitian American heritage for a sound vibrating with Creole, Cajun, and American jazz and folk influences. |
Saturday, May 27
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
A Poet's Love • Acclaimed tenor Jamez McCorkle both sings and accompanies himself on piano in this multilayered production of Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe, set against a backdrop of magical projections and stagecraft. |
3:00PM |
Tell Your Story • Four Festival Orchestra fellows pair with Charleston-based entrepreneurs, artists, and activists to create aural memoirs—works of creative placemaking distinct to the South Carolina Lowcountry and to this moment. |
7:00PM |
Vanessa • Set to one of the most beautiful scores of the 20th century, Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer prize-winning opera explores the depths of its characters’ psyches in this modern, existential drama. |
7:30PM |
Ayodele Casel:Chasing Magic • The buoyantly virtuosic tap dancer and choreographer returns to Spoleto with a new work that captures the magical spark of connection and creation—a joyous feast for the eyes, ears, and soul. |
8:00PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
9:00PM |
Quentin Baxter Quintet • This rollicking homecoming concert puts Grammy Award winner Quentin Baxter centerstage, leading a band of Charleston’s musical royalty and esteemed special guests. |
Sunday, May 28
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
Ayodele Casel:Chasing Magic • The buoyantly virtuosic tap dancer and choreographer returns to Spoleto with a new work that captures the magical spark of connection and creation—a joyous feast for the eyes, ears, and soul. |
3:00PM |
Conversations With • Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent Martha Teichner hosts riveting, intimate conversations with the artists and companies of Spoleto Festival USA, illuminating the creative process and delving into the stories that form the 2022 productions. |
4:00PM |
Music in Time • Two unconventional programs feature music from the cutting-edge: provocative and meditative selections reflecting on time, place, and humanity. |
6:00PM |
Ayodele Casel:Chasing Magic • The buoyantly virtuosic tap dancer and choreographer returns to Spoleto with a new work that captures the magical spark of connection and creation—a joyous feast for the eyes, ears, and soul. |
7:30PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
Monday, May 29
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
Ayodele Casel:Chasing Magic • The buoyantly virtuosic tap dancer and choreographer returns to Spoleto with a new work that captures the magical spark of connection and creation—a joyous feast for the eyes, ears, and soul. |
4:00PM |
A Poet's Love • Acclaimed tenor Jamez McCorkle both sings and accompanies himself on piano in this multilayered production of Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe, set against a backdrop of magical projections and stagecraft. |
7:00PM |
Vanessa • Set to one of the most beautiful scores of the 20th century, Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer prize-winning opera explores the depths of its characters’ psyches in this modern, existential drama. |
Tuesday, May 30
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
5:00PM |
Spoleto Festival USA Chorus + Orchestra: Handel’s Dixit Dominus • Twenty-four members of the Festival Orchestra join the full Festival Chorus for a heavenly program of two iconic Baroque masterpieces by George Frideric Handel and Henry Purcell. |
7:00PM |
A Poet's Love • Acclaimed tenor Jamez McCorkle both sings and accompanies himself on piano in this multilayered production of Robert Schumann’s song cycle Dichterliebe, set against a backdrop of magical projections and stagecraft. |
7:30PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
Wednesday, May 31
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
6:00PM |
Music in Time • Two unconventional programs feature music from the cutting-edge: provocative and meditative selections reflecting on time, place, and humanity. |
7:30PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
9:00PM |
Nickel Creek • The platinum-selling bluegrass trio of Grammy Award winners reunite for two unforgettable evenings under the Cistern Yard live oaks. |
Thursday, June 1
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
6:30PM |
Dada Masilo: The Sacrifice • A brilliant exploration of ritual and sacrifice, the award-winning South African choreographer Dada Masilo reimagines The Rite of Spring—her latest work reframing iconic ballets through a contemporary lens. |
7:30PM |
The Book of Life • Based on collected letters from survivors of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, this US premiere infuses an arresting yet hopeful work with the rhythms of Rwanda’s first-ever female drumming ensemble. |
9:00PM |
Nickel Creek • The platinum-selling bluegrass trio of Grammy Award winners reunite for two unforgettable evenings under the Cistern Yard live oaks. |
Friday, June 2
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
Conversations With • Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent Martha Teichner hosts riveting, intimate conversations with the artists and companies of Spoleto Festival USA, illuminating the creative process and delving into the stories that form the 2022 productions. |
6:00PM |
Dada Masilo: The Sacrifice • A brilliant exploration of ritual and sacrifice, the award-winning South African choreographer Dada Masilo reimagines The Rite of Spring—her latest work reframing iconic ballets through a contemporary lens. |
6:00PM |
The Book of Life • Based on collected letters from survivors of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, this US premiere infuses an arresting yet hopeful work with the rhythms of Rwanda’s first-ever female drumming ensemble. |
8:00PM |
Scottish Ballet: The Crucible • Choreographer Helen Pickett sets Arthur Miller’s seminal play in motion and pointe shoes, zeroing in on the female perspective as the townspeople of Salem devolve into mass hysteria. |
8:00PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
9:00PM |
Kris Davis Diatom Ribbons • The “powerhouse pianist” (New York Times) and composer Kris Davis leads a star-studded, experimental ensemble featuring Grammy-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, as well as guitarist Julian Lage. |
Saturday, June 3
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
Dada Masilo: The Sacrifice • A brilliant exploration of ritual and sacrifice, the award-winning South African choreographer Dada Masilo reimagines The Rite of Spring—her latest work reframing iconic ballets through a contemporary lens. |
2:00PM |
The Book of Life • Based on collected letters from survivors of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, this US premiere infuses an arresting yet hopeful work with the rhythms of Rwanda’s first-ever female drumming ensemble. |
2:00PM |
Jazz Talks • Spoleto Festival USA’s Jazz Curator Larry Blumenfeld speaks with artists from the 2023 Wells Fargo Jazz Series. |
7:00PM |
Scottish Ballet: The Crucible • Choreographer Helen Pickett sets Arthur Miller’s seminal play in motion and pointe shoes, zeroing in on the female perspective as the townspeople of Salem devolve into mass hysteria. |
8:00PM |
An lliad • Tony Award-winner Denis O’Hare stars in this radical retelling of Homer’s epic, crafting a sweeping account of humanity’s unshakable attraction to violence, destruction, and chaos. |
9:00PM |
Kishi Bashi with Strings • One of indie-rock’s most in-demand collaborators, multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi steps out on his own with unique musical explorations that celebrate his Japanese heritage and dig into themes of love and self-discovery. |
Sunday, June 4
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
Scottish Ballet: The Crucible • Choreographer Helen Pickett sets Arthur Miller’s seminal play in motion and pointe shoes, zeroing in on the female perspective as the townspeople of Salem devolve into mass hysteria. |
5:00PM |
Dada Masilo: The Sacrifice • A brilliant exploration of ritual and sacrifice, the award-winning South African choreographer Dada Masilo reimagines The Rite of Spring—her latest work reframing iconic ballets through a contemporary lens. |
7:00PM |
The Book of Life • Based on collected letters from survivors of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, this US premiere infuses an arresting yet hopeful work with the rhythms of Rwanda’s first-ever female drumming ensemble. |
Monday, June 5
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
3:30PM |
Jazz Talks • Spoleto Festival USA’s Jazz Curator Larry Blumenfeld speaks with artists from the 2023 Wells Fargo Jazz Series. |
7:30PM |
The Rite of Spring • John Kennedy conducts the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Igor Stravinksy’s iconic masterpiece Le sacre du printemps on a program that also includes the US premiere of Phillip Glass’s thrilling Symphony No. 14. |
Tuesday, June 6
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
7:00PM |
Vanessa • Set to one of the most beautiful scores of the 20th century, Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer prize-winning opera explores the depths of its characters’ psyches in this modern, existential drama. |
7:30PM |
Henry Threadgill Zooid • In the serene sanctuary of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Harpist Parker Ramsay, joined by eight voices of the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus, enlivens new work from composer Nico Muhly offering 14 Meditations on the Stations of the Cross. |
Wednesday, June 7
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
5:00PM |
Gravity & Other Myths: Out of Chaos • Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths presents one of their newest works, Out of Chaos—a high-flying display of acrobatics that the troupe describes as its “boldest and most ambitious yet.” |
5:00PM |
Spoleto Festival USA Chorus: Density 40:1 • The full sonic glory of Spoleto’s 40-strong choral ensemble reverberates through Thomas Tallis’s majestic Spem in alium, paired with works by celebrated contemporary composers. |
5:00PM |
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet • One of the most promising jazz artists of his generation, saxophonist/composer Immanuel Wilkins imbues this five-concert residency at the Queen Street Playhouse with a spirit of creative innovation. |
6:00PM |
Only an Octave Apart • A Grammy Award-winning opera countertenor complements New York’s preeminent cabaret showstopper for a dazzling, genre-defying musical hybrid that revels in the coexistence of contrasts. |
7:30PM |
New World Symphony • Maestra Mei-Ann Chen leads the Spoleto Festival Orchestra in Antonin Dvořák’s triumphant New World Symphony and works by American composers Florence Price and Michael Abels. |
9:00PM |
Alisa Amador • The 2022 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner captivates listeners with her soulful voice, incisive lyrics, and syncopated rhythms rooted in her musical upbringing of Latin folk and jazz. |
Thursday, June 8
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
4:00PM |
Conversations With • Emmy Award-winning CBS News correspondent Martha Teichner hosts riveting, intimate conversations with the artists and companies of Spoleto Festival USA, illuminating the creative process and delving into the stories that form the 2022 productions. |
5:00PM |
Spoleto Festival USA Chorus: Density 40:1 • The full sonic glory of Spoleto’s 40-strong choral ensemble reverberates through Thomas Tallis’s majestic Spem in alium, paired with works by celebrated contemporary composers. |
5:00PM |
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet • One of the most promising jazz artists of his generation, saxophonist/composer Immanuel Wilkins imbues this five-concert residency at the Queen Street Playhouse with a spirit of creative innovation. |
7:30PM |
Gravity & Other Myths: Out of Chaos • Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths presents one of their newest works, Out of Chaos—a high-flying display of acrobatics that the troupe describes as its “boldest and most ambitious yet.” |
8:00PM |
Only an Octave Apart • A Grammy Award-winning opera countertenor complements New York’s preeminent cabaret showstopper for a dazzling, genre-defying musical hybrid that revels in the coexistence of contrasts. |
9:00PM |
Abdullah Ibrahim and Ekaya • On the heels of his 88th birthday and the release of his newest album, Solotude, distinguished South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim makes a rare stop in the United States for a performance with his band Ekaya. |
Friday, June 9
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
5:00PM |
Only an Octave Apart • A Grammy Award-winning opera countertenor complements New York’s preeminent cabaret showstopper for a dazzling, genre-defying musical hybrid that revels in the coexistence of contrasts. |
5:00PM |
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet • One of the most promising jazz artists of his generation, saxophonist/composer Immanuel Wilkins imbues this five-concert residency at the Queen Street Playhouse with a spirit of creative innovation. |
7:30PM |
Symphonie Fantastique • Baltimore Symphony Music Director Designate Jonathon Heyward leads the Festival Orchestra through Berlioz’s epic Symphonie Fantastique and Edvard Grieg’s piano concerto, featuring buzzy soloist Micah McLaurin. |
8:00PM |
Gravity & Other Myths: Out of Chaos • Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths presents one of their newest works, Out of Chaos—a high-flying display of acrobatics that the troupe describes as its “boldest and most ambitious yet.” |
Saturday, June 10
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
3:00PM |
Gravity & Other Myths: Out of Chaos • Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths presents one of their newest works, Out of Chaos—a high-flying display of acrobatics that the troupe describes as its “boldest and most ambitious yet.” |
4:00PM |
Only an Octave Apart • A Grammy Award-winning opera countertenor complements New York’s preeminent cabaret showstopper for a dazzling, genre-defying musical hybrid that revels in the coexistence of contrasts. |
5:00PM |
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet • One of the most promising jazz artists of his generation, saxophonist/composer Immanuel Wilkins imbues this five-concert residency at the Queen Street Playhouse with a spirit of creative innovation. |
6:00PM |
Gravity & Other Myths: Out of Chaos • Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths presents one of their newest works, Out of Chaos—a high-flying display of acrobatics that the troupe describes as its “boldest and most ambitious yet.” |
7:30PM |
Vanessa • Set to one of the most beautiful scores of the 20th century, Samuel Barber’s Pulitzer prize-winning opera explores the depths of its characters’ psyches in this modern, existential drama. |
9:00PM |
Immanuel Wilkins Quartet • One of the most promising jazz artists of his generation, saxophonist/composer Immanuel Wilkins imbues this five-concert residency at the Queen Street Playhouse with a spirit of creative innovation. |
Sunday, June 11
11:00AM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
1:00PM |
Bank of America Chamber Music • Highlighting a broad range of repertoire spanning centuries, many of the world’s chamber music luminaries perform eleven riveting programs at the historic Dock Street Theatre. |
2:00PM |
Gravity & Other Myths: Out of Chaos • Australian physical theater company Gravity & Other Myths presents one of their newest works, Out of Chaos—a high-flying display of acrobatics that the troupe describes as its “boldest and most ambitious yet.” |
4:00PM |
Only an Octave Apart • A Grammy Award-winning opera countertenor complements New York’s preeminent cabaret showstopper for a dazzling, genre-defying musical hybrid that revels in the coexistence of contrasts. |
5:00PM |
Wells Fargo Festival Finale featuring Tank and the Bangas • With a sound blending funk, rock, jazz, soul, and hip-hop, the Grammy-nominated band closes the Festival season with a celebratory bang—and fireworks—at Firefly Distillery in North Charleston. |
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