Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, SC

We are writing to let you know about a big event coming up in the Charleston area.  The Spoleto Festival USA will take place from May 25 to June 10.  This seventeen-day arts festival will feature a broad range of performances, including theater, classical ballet, jazz, chamber music, and modern dance.  There will also be local artists displaying their work in Marion Square.

A Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Gian Carlo Menotti, began the Spoleto Festival in Italy in 1958 to showcase new American artists in Europe.  As Spoleto's popularity grew, the organizers started an American version of the festival in 1977.  Of all the American cities, they chose Charleston to be the  permanent host for the festival because of the city's small size, cultured audience, and history of supporting the arts.  After all, Charleston was home to some of the first theater, ballet, and musical organizations in the United States.

In the thirty years since Spoleto Festival USA was founded, it has grown to include more than 120 performances in Charleston's various theaters, outdoor venues, and churches.  If you are planning a trip to Charleston soon, any of these three weekends would be a great time to come because Spoleto is a very big event!