Music Events

Awendaw Green presents The Journey of a Song: Piccolo Songwriters in the Round. Lowcountry songwriters Danielle Howle, Sam Rae and Mike Kaufman present their songs (and the stories behind them) in the historic Circular Church. Each of these seasoned performers is known for drawing audiences in close, creating community through the shared experience of music.

Performance: Tuesday, May 28 at 5:00pm
Admission: $20, PURCHASE TICKETS

Performance: Monday, May 27 at 3:00pm
Venue: Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting Street
Admission: Free to attend, donations accepted

Oscar Rivers is a living Lowcountry legend and an esteemed jazz instrumentalist on both saxophone and piano. Oscar has been a vital part of the Charleston and Chicago jazz scenes for over half a century, and is an inductee of the Lowcountry Music Hall of Fame. Having mastered the saxophone at an early age, Oscar’s education took him from Burke High School to South Carolina State College to Chicago’s Roosevelt University, where hear earned his Masters in Music.  His decades-long career as a musician and music educator has included playing sax with musical legends Sonny Stitt, Quincy Jones, Melba Moore, BB King, Stevie Wonder, the Tempations, the Jackson Five, and he was also part of the house band for the legendary Regal Theater. In 1979, Oscar moved back to Charleston, where he continued to perform professionally, but also taught music, math and science. Looking for a musical challenge, Oscar decided to learn classical piano as an adult. In addition to performing jazz and rhythm and blues locally, including a standing Monday night gig at Barsa Tapas Lounge on Upper King Street, Oscar proudly leads and accompanies the Morris Brown AME Church’s gospel choirs. Oscar received the “Tip of the Hat” award for jazz contributions in Charleston this year. The quartet performing this afternoon features Oscar Rivers on piano, Kat Keturah on vocals, Paul Gelpi on bass and Donald Fields on drums.

Performances: Thursdays, May 30 and June 6 at 7:00pm
Venue: Cannon Street Arts Center, 134 Cannon Street
Admission: $25, PURCHASE TICKETS

THE PEACOCK & THE SNAKE: Collaborative performance between music and visual art. Caroline Leigh Halleck, saxophone & electronics; Alessandro Roma, visual art.

Performance Dates:
Wednesday, June 5 at 6:30pm (doors at 6:00pm), Redux Contemporary Art Center, 1056 King Street

Thursday, June 6 at 6:30pm (doors at 6:00pm), Redux Contemporary Art Center, 1056 King Street

Admission: $30, PURCHASE TICKETS

Internationally renowned recording artists and pianists, Gregory Thompson and Meisha Whitlock, will present some of the most major piano solo and piano duo works written by Florence Price (1887-1953).  Thompson was praised in his Carnegie Hall debut, by the NY Times for his “intuitive playing” and his ability to “make a melodic line sing and inflect it with delicate rubato effects.”  As the winner of the Paul W. Hagan Concerto Competition, Whitlock’s experiences have led to performances across the United States and abroad including Australia, the United Kingdom, Africa and Italy. Albany Records produced her historical album of classical piano duo works by African-American composers entitled Piano Duo Project.  Based on spirituals, the foot-stomping blues, jazz-influenced lusciousness and the gospel sound, the classical piano compositions of celebrated Black composer, Florence Price, will tell a rich story in this unforgettable performance!

Performance: Wednesday, May 29 at 5:00pm
Venue: Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting Street
Admission: $20, PURCHASE TICKETS

Now in its 16th year, Palmetto State Arts Education will host its Rising Stars Series will showcase young actors, dancers, musicians, writers and visual artists in the high-profile venue as part of the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.

A series of six programs, each program will feature 6 young artists and/or ensembles in a conversation and performance format. All programs are presented at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church across from Marion Square on King Street in the heart of downtown Charleston.

Performance Dates:

• May 27 at 11:00am and 3:00pm

Venue: St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Parish Hall, 405 King St.

Admission: $10, PURCHASE TICKETS

Performance: Sunday, June 2 at 3:00pm
Venue: Second Presbyterian Church, 342 Meeting Street
Admission: Free

With nearly two centuries of history, Trinity’s Chancel Choir long has recognized the importance of music. This group of experienced vocal musicians are back again to offer up another concert for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. In singing, we are guided by the words of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church. His directions for singing, published in 1761, advise, “Sing lustily and with a good courage.” In that tradition, we plan to offer up blessings through the another tradition. The tradition of singing found all over Ireland’s rote culture and history. These tunes and text have been arranged beautifully for choir with luscious melodies, harmonies, and a few surprises along the way! This will surely be a concert to attend!

Performance: Saturday, June 1 at 3:00pm
Venue: Grace Church Cathedral, 98 Wentworth St.
Admission: Free, donations accepted

May 25 – June 4, 2024
A World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto
Inaugurated in 1998 as a joint project of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston, in cooperation with the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. This year’s series is sponsored by the Herzman-Fishman Fund and the Seltzer-Lovinger Endowment for Jewish Cultural Programming.

Saturday, May 25, 7:00 PM
Celebrating 200 Years of Reform Judaism, Its Music and Spoken Word (75 min)
As part of its 275th Anniversary Celebrations and in commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of Reform Judaism in America, please join the KKBE community in welcoming students and faculty from The Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College for a performance charting the evolution of Reform Judaism through music and spoken word. KKBE’s volunteer choir, Koleinu, will participate along with musicians from the Charleston community.

VENUE Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
ADDRESS 90 Hasell Street
ADMISSION $36
PURCHASE TICKETS

Sunday, June 2, 2:00 PM
Baklava Express (75 min)
Baklava Express is a NYC based Middle Eastern fusion project, led by Oud player and composer Josh Kaye. The band performs original music, heavily influenced by both Mizrahi and Ashkenazi traditions as well as those traditions of the broader Middle East and Easter Europe. The eclectic influences and vast differences in the musical backgrounds of its members have created a group whose style is distinct, yet genre defiant. Performing members include Josh Kaye, Davide Laura, Daro Behroozi, Max O’Rourke, and Jeremy Smith.

VENUE Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
ADDRESS 90 Hasell Street
ADMISSION $20
PURCHASE TICKETS

Sunday, June 2, 6:00 PM
The Amernet String Quartet (75 min)
Praised for their “intelligence” and “immensely satisfying” playing by the New York Times, the Amernet String Quartet has garnered recognition as one of today’s exceptional string quartets and are Ensemble-in-Residence at Florida International University in Miami. Their sound has been called “complex” but with an “old world flavor.” Strad Magazine described the Amernet as “…a group of exceptional technical ability.” The Amernet’s performance schedule has taken the quartet across the Americas and to Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The Amernet actively advocates for neglected works of the past and aims to enliven the concert experience through its innovative programming, which features a focus on composers of the Jewish diaspora and ‘re-imaginations’ for quartet by composer Jeffery Briggs of the 32 piano sonatas of Beethoven. Performing members include Michael Klotz, Misha Vitenson, Avi Nagin, and Jason Calloway.

VENUE Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
ADDRESS 90 Hasell Street
ADMISSION $25
PURCHASE TICKETS

Charleston Jewish Filmfest Feature Film Series at the College of Charleston
VENUE: Thaddeus Street Jr. Education Center, Room 118
ADDRESS 25 St. Philip Street
ADMISSION $10 each

Monday, June 3 at 6:00 PM
The Way to Happiness
Saül Birnbaum is a “hidden child”, separated from his parents at the age of 6 to escape the upcoming Shoah. He travelled by a Kindertransport abroad, from Vienna to Brussels. In 1986, Saül is on the road to resilience, he tries to reinvent his life. On the stage of the Délicatessen he owns, the 7th Art triumphs every day. With his protégé Joakin, a young Chilean director who fled Pinochet, they decide to write the story of Saül’s childhood and make a film of it. But love comes knocking on his door and confronts him with his past.
PURCHASE TICKETS

Tuesday, June 4 at 6:00 PM
The Nita Zita Project
This is the extraordinary story of outsider artists, Nita & Zita, who blazed a trail to international stardom, then became eccentric recluses, weaving their mythology into the very fabric of New Orleans. The Nita & Zita Project is a tale of marginalized women who lived by their own rules. Nita & Zita were Jewish immigrants on the fringes of society, burlesque dancers, and trailblazers. Join us for a tale of mystery, intrigue, glamour, stardom, poverty, loneliness, and most of all, the extraordinary love and devotion of sisters.
PURCHASE TICKETS

Emerging artists from the College of Charleston showcase their artistry and mastery of the many genres and disciplines of music throughout this series.  All performances are at noon at the Hill Gallery, College of Charleston, 161 Calhoun Street.  Admission:

PURCHASE TICKETS

Monday, May 27 – Isn’t It Romantic
Repertoire includes Chopin’s Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20; Violin Sonata A Major by Cesar Franck and art songs by Duparc, Faurè and Schubert which includes selections of Die Schönemüllerin.

Tuesday, May 28 – What’s Opera Doc?
Scenes and arias from Rossini’s La Cenerentoa, Massent’s Werther, Bellini’s La Sonnambula, Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier, Floyd’s Sussanah, Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Romberg’s Desert Song and Korngold’s Die Todt Stadt are all included in this concert.

Wednesday, May 29 – The Great American Songbook
Jazz classics that make up America’s greatest artistic contribution to the world. The Great Amerian Songbook is the canon for all jazz musicians.

Thursday, May 30 – Mostly Mozart
This year’s Mostly Mozart concert features Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor K. 310, arias from Die Zauberflöte and Le Nozze di Figaro and Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31.

Friday, May 31 – I’ll Take Romance
Selections from Mahler’s Kindertotenlieder and art songs by Brahms and Fenzi are featured on this concert as well as the Cello Sonata in E Minor by Brahms, Schubert’s String Quartet No. 13 in a minor (1st movement) and Etude Tableaux No. 9 in D Major, Op. 39 by Rachmaninoff.

Monday, June 3 – An Operatic Affair
Scenes and arias from Gounod’s Romeo et Julliette are featured here as well as arias from Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia; Verdi’s La Traviata and Rigoletto, Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore, and Wagner’s Tannhäuser.

Tuesday, June 4 – My Romance
The concert of music from the Romantic Period includes Schumann’s composition for cello, Fantasiestücke, Op. 73; the first movement of Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58; selections from Schubert’s Schwanengesang, lieder of Brahms and songs of Rachmaninoff.

Wednesday, June 5 – To Infinity & Beyond
This exciting concert features composers of the 20th & 21st centuries. Music performed on this concert included Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor Op. 28, Rags for the Piano by William Bolcom, Songs by Copland, Amy Beach, Tom Cipullo, and the first movement of Terzetto, Op. 74 by Dvorak.

Thursday, June 6 – Go For Baroque
Featured music on this concert include arias from J.S. Bach’s Magnificat and Handel’s Messiah as well as Cello Suite no. 3 in C Major BWV 109, Prelude and Fugue No. 17 in A Flat Major, BWV 862 and Handel’s Pasacaglia for two violins.

Friday, June 7 – CofC Jazz All-Stars
Original compositions and arrangements by the College of Charleston’s top jazz combo.