“The Spoleto Festival is a hotbed for new classical music,” writes Jeremy Reynolds in Friday’s (6/10) Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.). “This year alone, there are seven U.S. and world premieres among the festival’s offerings, including the American premiere of Helmut Lachenmann’s opera ‘The Little Match Girl,’ and new commissioned works by the chamber series’ composer-in-residence Osvaldo Golijov and resident conductor John Kennedy…. Spoleto Festival General Manager Nigel Redden said audiences expect new works at the festival…. ‘The festival was founded by a composer, Gian Carlo Menotti,’ Redden said. ‘I think it came with the DNA.’ … For the chamber music concerts at the Dock Street Theatre, [Geoffrey] Nuttall said he tries to invite a composer-in-residence each year…. Funding new music, though, can be difficult…. The festival often partners with other performing arts organizations to share the cost of a commission, Redden said.” Past partners include the Lincoln Center Festival, Singapore International Festival, and Toronto’s Luminato Festival. Kennedy said, “I really like to always make sure that each festival has works by young composers who I think will be making a mark and that we’ll be hearing from in the future.” This year’s festival ran from May 26 to June 12.
Posted June 13, 2016
