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Spoleto

Spoleto

1977 –

Spoleto: Oral history with Michael Grofsorean

Source: Low Country Digital Library

Longtime jazz director for Spoleto Festival U.S.A., Michael Grofsorean talks about his history at the festival since 1980. He relates anecdotes about past performers, including Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughan and Ray Charles and describes the process that goes into selecting the artists for each festival. He discusses festival founder Gian Carlo Menotti's distaste for jazz, the rocky years of festival finances, the NAACP boycott of South Carolina that nearly derailed the 2000 jazz program and describes why the city of Charleston is the perfect venue for the festival. Audio with transcript.

Citation Information

The following information is provided for citations.

  • Title Spoleto
  • Coverage 1977 –
  • Author
  • Keywords composer Gian Carlo Menotti, backed by the National Endowment for the Arts, chose Charleston as the home for the American counterpart of his festival in Spoleto, Italy, substantial reputation for quality, variety, innovation, and, not least, for nurturing young artists
  • Website Name South Carolina Encyclopedia
  • Publisher University of South Carolina, Institute for Southern Studies
  • URL
  • Access Date April 25, 2024
  • Original Published Date
  • Date of Last Update August 24, 2022

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