The 2026 Piccolo Spoleto Festival will host a record number of performances featuring local and community-based acts that center the arts in Charleston.
Piccolo Spoleto’s music offerings are as diverse as Charleston, said Rochelle Riley, the city’s director of cultural affairs. Audiences can hear organ works, classical music, Gershin, reggae, contemporary music, and even a salute to the women of rock and roll.
“What we want most is to provide such an amazing and eclectic mix of music that it touches everyone,” Riley said. “The goal is that we are doing what Charlestonians want, because they’re the ones helping put this on.”
Unlike the splashy headliners of Spoleto Festival USA, Piccolo introduces audiences to the arts community from a grassroots level. The festival provides affordable – and often free – events while simultaneously showcasing local talent on more prominent stages.
More than 40 acts will perform under the Piccolo Spoleto banner between May 22 and June 7. Many performers incorporate Charleston’s cultural narratives into their shows, using Charleston’s history and culture to invite audiences to see the city from an authentic perspective through music
The Sound of Charleston
In 2010, Charlestonian Bill Perry and former City Council member Yvonne Evans co-founded Charleston Musical Heritage Productions. Their musical event “The Sound of Charleston” tells the city’s story through music.
“We give audiences a good blend of music and history,” Perry said. “They learn the history of the Charleston musical connection and how that relates to the city.”
“‘Sound of Charleston: America 250 Edition”’ is a variation on the Sound of Charleston’s flagship offering,” Perry said. It features gospel spirituals, Civil War-era songs, selections from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Rhapsody in Blue, as well as jazz and classical compositions tied to Charleston’s history.
“The Sound of Charleston: America 250 Edition” will be performed May 30 and June 6 at 2 p.m at Circular Congregational Church.
Performances run about 75 minutes. In addition to familiar patriotic numbers, some music will reflect the country’s relationship with slavery, as well as Charleston’s significance in the nation’s history.
“The shows are pretty emotional for some people,” Perry said. “But they really enjoy the singers and the storytelling that comes with the music.”
Charleston Music Heritage Productions will also present Gershwin and Jazz during Piccolo Spoleto. Former Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg joins other musicians for a performance of jazz standards and Gershwin classics such as “Rhapsody in Blue” and selections from Porgy and Bess.
“Gershwin and Jazz” will be performed May 31 at 2 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church.
Both concerts change the way visitors and locals understand Charleston, Perry said.
“What we try to accomplish in the show is when people leave, they have a new appreciation for how broad Charleston’s history is in the musical area. We want people to leave and say, We took several walking tours of Charleston, but we really didn’t get a true appreciation for the history until we came and heard this music.’’”
Guitarist Christopher Laughlin
Guitarist Christopher Laughlin shares his expansive repertoire with Piccolo audiences for a third time this year.
Laughlin, who performs classical, flamenco, and acoustic guitar, plans a melodious and engaging set that introduces listeners to the diversity of sounds that his instrument can make.
Attendees can expect to hear flamenco, such as “Guajiras” by Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucía, and some Bach pieces. Laughlin is also excited to play a new arrangement of the Who’s “Baba O’Riley” with a looping pedal that creates an orchestral effect with a solo guitar.
Laughlin will perform May 28 at 7 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church and May 30 at 6 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church.
“I think it’s nice when you can put a variety of music in your programs so you can bridge the gap between what people’s expectations are of the music they like and what they might eventually be able to enjoy,” Laughlin said. “That’s what I think I’m trying to accomplish – broadening people’s horizons on what kind of music they might enjoy.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO:
“The Sound of Charleston: America 250 Edition” will be performed May 23, May 30 and June 6 at 2 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. Performances run about 75 minutes. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $16 for students.
“Gershwin and Jazz” will be performed May 31 at 2 p.m. at the Circular Congregational Church, 150 Meeting St. Tickets are $30 for general admission and $16 for students.
Guitarist Christopher Laughlin will perform May 28 at 7 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church and May 30 at 6 p.m. at Circular Congregational Church. Tickets for both performances are $30.
Jordyn Britton is an arts journalism and communications graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
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