Announcing the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus, a new professional Festival choir that builds upon Spoleto’s longstanding tradition of exceptional choral music

Director of Choral Activities Joe Miller will lead the Festival Chorus; he embarks on a four-city audition tour to select more than 50 inaugural vocal fellows.

Note: Images are available in the online media gallery.

September 9, 2021 (Charleston, South Carolina) — Today, Spoleto Festival USA, General Director Nigel Redden and Festival Director of Choral Activities Joe Miller announce the formation of the Spoleto Festival USA Chorus, a new professional choir that builds upon the Festival’s longstanding tradition of exceptional choral music. The Festival Chorus aligns with Spoleto Festival USA’s mission to further the artistic advancement of young professional performers and expands this vision to attract and present a broad spectrum of singers. Each season, the vocal fellows will perform major choral works; serve as the choir for Spoleto’s mainstage operas, with select singers covering both large and small roles; and take part in special projects, such as Music in Time concerts.

“For many years, young artists in the Westminster Choir served as the Festival’s resident chorus, first under the direction of Joseph Flummerfelt and subsequently with Joe Miller,” says Redden. “Young singers have always been an integral and beloved part of the Festival’s fabric, and these exquisite voices will continue to fill Charleston’s performance halls for years to come.”

Miller, who, outside of Spoleto Festival USA, also directs the choral program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, says he is “thrilled to initiate this new chapter in Spoleto Festival USA’s choral history. There are few professional vocal programs that compare to the opportunities that choristers receive at Spoleto, especially in a festival setting. Opening these doors to emerging singers across the country will not only embolden their careers and provide them invaluable platforms from which to grow, but the Festival’s vocal brilliance will increase, too.”

The structure of the Festival Chorus follows that of the successful Spoleto Festival USA Orchestra, led by Festival Resident Conductor and Director of Orchestral Activities John Kennedy and assembled anew each year through a robust audition tour. With the participation of both returning and new musicians, the Festival’s Orchestra takes on a dynamic new identity each season, which reflects the diverse scope of artistry, versatility, and musicianship of its ensemble members.

Like the Orchestra, the number of ensemble members selected for the Festival Chorus will shift each season depending on the program and repertory performed. Miller says he is searching for singers with broad and versatile skillsets, reflecting the work they will perform during the season. Interested candidates can apply online at spoletousa.org; auditions will be held in person in October and November in four cities: Cincinnati (October 23), New York (November 6), Houston (November 12), and Charleston (November 13). Digital auditions can be arranged for those unable to travel. The more than 50 inaugural vocal fellows will perform a variety of repertory during the 2022 season, including the world premiere of Omar.

Candidates must fill out an audition application form by October 15, 2021. Audition details and a link to the application form can be found here.

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Joe Miller

Joe Miller has served as Spoleto Festival USA’s Director of Choral Activities since 2007. From 2006 to 2020, he also served as the director of choral activities at Westminster Choir College and director of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir. Miller has collaborated with some of the world’s leading orchestras and conductors. Recent seasons have included performances with the Philharmoniker Berliner and Sir Simon Rattle; The Philadelphia Orchestra and Yannick Nézet-Séguin; and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela and Gustavo Dudamel. In 2020, Miller was named a Professor of Choral Studies/Chair of Choral Studies at the College-Conservatory of Music at University of Cincinnati.

Spoleto Festival USA

Spoleto Festival USA was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to create an American counterpart to the annual Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, that he had founded in 1958. Now in its 46th year, Spoleto Festival USA is internationally recognized as America’s premier performing arts festival. For 17 days and nights each spring, Spoleto Festival USA fills Charleston’s historic theaters, churches, and outdoor spaces with performances in opera; theater; dance; and chamber, symphonic, choral, and jazz music. Spoleto’s mission is to present programs of the highest artistic caliber while maintaining a dedication to young artists, a commitment to all forms of the performing arts, a passion for contemporary innovation, and an enthusiasm for providing unique performance opportunities for established artists. Through its programming, the Festival provides emerging performers the opportunity to work with master artists, conductors, directors, and designers. Beyond its role as a launching pad for young talent, Spoleto also serves as a catalyst for cultural change and has aided in Charleston’s flourishing as a top arts and culture destination. The 2022 season takes place May 27 to June 12 in various locations on the downtown peninsula. Spoleto Festival USA is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

Images: A selection of high-resolution images can be found in Spoleto Festival USA’s online gallery.

For more information, visit the press room.

Contacts:
Jessie Bagley, Director of Marketing and Public Relations | jbagley@spoletousa.org
Jenny Ouellette, Associate Director of Media Relations and Communications | jouellette@spoletousa.org