Spoleto Backstage

We end our 2021 season of Spoleto Backstage on a high note with a magnificent, sweeping piano quintet that has such an emotional and expressive range — Ludwig Thuille's Piano Quintet No. 2, op. 20. We also speak with the featured pianist in this performance, Gilles Vonsattel, about the piece and being a part of this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage, we take in selections from late Classical, early Romantic composer Franz Schubert. Pianist Pedja Muzijevic joins us to talk about the logistics of performing Schubert's Fantasie in F minor for four hands, D. 940 with fellow piano player Inon Barnatan at this year's Chamber Music Series. We also chat with cellist Paul Wiancko about sitting in with the St. Lawrence String Quartet for the composer's String Quintet in C major, D. 956, Mvts. III-IV.

On this ninth episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2021, we hear chamber music works for nine musicians — selections which may have you feeling like you're on cloud nine! We're also joined by cellist Arlen Hlusko, one of the performers featured in both concerts, to discuss making her Spoleto Festival USA debut this year.

On this edition of Spoleto Backstage, we share a compilation of contemporary works performed as part of this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series. We speak with Osvaldo Golijov about the world premiere of his piece "Milonga" as well as what Spoleto Festival USA means to him. Then, we chat with composer Paul Wiancko about his work, "American Haiku."

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage, we continue our series spotlighting the First Viennese School composers with three of Ludwig van Beethoven's works, one from each of the stylistic periods in which his works are often categorized. We're also joined by bassoonist Monica Ellis, founding member of the quintet Imani Winds, to chat about performing in one of these pieces as well as Alicia Hall and Jason Moran's "Two Wings: The Music of Black America in Migration" at this year's Spoleto Festival USA.

Enjoy a world premiere performance by oboist James Austin Smith on this episode of Spoleto Backstage. Smith also joins us to share the backstory of the piece by composer Sigfried Thiele, discuss life as a musician during the pandemic, and celebrate his return to Spoleto Festival USA.

On this fifth episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2021, we spotlight the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with two his works performed as part of this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series: Trio in E-flat major, K. 498 “Kegelstatt” and Horn Concerto No. 1 in D major, K. 412. We're then joined by hornist David Byrd-Marrow, the featured soloist in the latter, to discuss the concerto and how performing a wide range of musical styles helps him as an artist.

We take another dive into the Romantic era with two richly expressive 20th century compositions for wind and string instruments. Clarinetist Todd Palmer joins us with background on these works and to discuss playing the parts of both soloist and arranger during this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage, we highlight two passionate, exciting Romantic era sonatas for violin and piano, and hear some background about the pieces from the musicians who performed them at this year's Spoleto Chamber Music Series. First, we speak with Geoff Nuttall, violinist and the Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Director of Chamber Music for Spoleto Festival USA, about Robert Schumann's Violin Sonatas No. 1 in A minor, op. 105 1st Mvmt. Then, violinist Jennifer Frautschi joins us to discuss performing Camille Saint-Saëns' Violin Sonata No. 1 in D minor, op. 75.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage, we speak with Jessica Meyer, violist and 2021 Spoleto Chamber Music Series composer in residence, and hear her compositions featured in this year's series. We're also joined by violinist Livia Sohn, for whom Meyer wrote the new composition "From Our Ashes," to chat about the piece and returning to public performance after personal setbacks.

On this first episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2021, host Bradley Fuller is joined by Geoff Nuttall, the Charles E. and Andrea L. Volpe Director of Chamber Music for Spoleto Festival USA, to discuss returning to the chamber music series after the cancellation of last year's festival. Then we hear the first concert from this year's series as the St. Lawrence String Quartet performs Franz Joseph Hayden's String Quartet, op. 76 no. 4 "Sunrise."

Spoleto Backstage returns for a brand new season as the Spoleto Festival USA resumes in-person performances for 2021.

In this final episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2020, cohosts Geoff Nuttall and Bradley Fuller mark the 250th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth by taking a tour through the German composer’s three stylistic periods — early, middle, and late — with commentary and a listen to representative performances from the past twelve years of the Spoleto Festival chamber music series. After discussing Beethoven’s musical beginnings, Geoff and Bradley hear his Piano Trio Op. 1, No. 3, followed by the second and third movements of his Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20. The conversation then moves to Beethoven’s middle or “heroic” period, with performances of the haunting second movement of the composer’s “Ghost” Trio and the passionate opening movement of his “Kreutzer” sonata to illustrate this stylistic phase at the start of the Romantic era. A discussion of late-period Beethoven serves to introduce two pieces for string quartet by the composer, both from the final years of his life: the

This episode of Spoleto Backstage highlights the music of Johann Sebastian Bach with Spoleto chamber music series performances of two works representative of the German baroque composer’s prolific and wide-ranging output: his Concerto in C minor for violin and oboe, BWV 1060, and his cantata Ich habe genug , BWV 82. Before listening to these works as performed in the festival’s 2017 and 2011 seasons, hosts Geoff Nuttall and Bradley Fuller talk about Bach’s career and legacy, considering what his music means to them and the qualities that have ensured its appeal across centuries and cultures.

This episode of Spoleto Backstage rounds out Geoff Nuttall’s list of top Spoleto Festival chamber performances from the past decade with a 2011 program featuring Franz Schubert’s Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667—better known as the “Trout” Quintet. As Geoff shares with Bradley Fuller in a conversation before the music begins, this sparkling chamber work gets both its nickname and the musical material for its theme-and-variations fourth movement from a catchy lied or art song Schubert wrote two years prior: “Die Forelle” (“The Trout”), op. 32, D. 550. Baritone Tyler Duncan performs this lied just before pianist Pedja Muzijevic joins string players Hsin-Yun Huang, Christopher Costanza, Anthony Manzo, and Geoff himself for the quintet it inspired. The concert opens with Niccolò Paganini’s fiendishly-difficult Moses Fantasy for cello and piano, a work based on an operatic aria by Gioachino Rossini and allegedly shaped by its composer’s prison sentence.

This episode of Spoleto Backstage highlights one of Geoff Nuttall’s all-time favorite programs from the Spoleto Festival USA Chamber Music Series: the eleventh and final concert from the 2018 season. As Geoff discusses with Bradley Fuller before the music begins, the wide-ranging, variety-packed lineup of this program is emblematic of the chamber series as a whole. To start, the men of the Westminster Choir join the regular chamber musicians for a performance of Franz Schubert’s sublime choral setting of Goethe’s “Gesang der Geister über den Wassern.” Cellist Joshua Roman and pianist Gilles Vonsattel then perform Ludwig van Beethoven’s Cello Sonata in C major, Op. 102. Following the late Beethoven work is Antonio Vivaldi’s stormy “Summer” concerto from The Four Seasons . For the final two pieces of the program, tenor Paul Groves takes center stage with a performance of two hit arias: Gaetano Donizetti’s “Una furtiva lagrima” (from L’elisir d’amore ) and Charles Gounod’s “Salut! Demeure

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage , Geoff Nuttall and Bradley Fuller revisit another unforgettable program from the past decade of the Spoleto Festival USA Chamber Music Series. Before moving to the music itself, the two hosts talk about what makes this 2016 concert a top-pick performance. Opening the program are two dazzling violin showpieces by Fritz Kreisler—his Praeludium and Allegro, as well as the Caprice Viennois , Op. 2. Violinist Benjamin Beilman performs both, accompanied by pianist Pedja Muzijevic. Composer Osvaldo Golijov then introduces his “Drag Down the Sky” (an aria from the opera Iphigenia ), performed by baritone Tyler Duncan and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. The concert concludes with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s captivating String Sextet in D minor, “Souvenir de Florence,” Op. 70. After the music, Geoff is joined by star cellist Alisa Weilerstein for a conversation covering everything from her current projects to a memorable interaction with pianist and

This episode of Spoleto Backstage showcases a 2012 chamber series program bookended by late Romantic American works. Opening with Arthur Foote’s A Night Piece , the concert also features Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 101 in D Major, “The Clock” (arr. Salomon) before concluding with Amy Beach’s Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67. Geoff Nuttall and Bradley Fuller talk about the selections and the backgrounds of those who wrote them ahead of the music itself. Following the concert, Bradley speaks with countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo about his recent engagements, from performing in the lead role of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019-20 production of Philip Glass’s opera Akhnaten to keeping busy with a variety of projects which don’t involve performing before a live, in-person audience. Anthony also shares about his beginnings as a singer and how he envisions the future of the countertenor repertoire.

This episode of Spoleto Backstage features another of Geoff Nuttall’s favorite programs from the past decade of the Spoleto Festival USA Chamber Music Series. Before listening to the 2018 concert, Geoff and Bradley Fuller discuss the selections, paying special attention to the opening Vivaldi concerto for oboe and violin and emphasizing how the baroque composer’s hundreds of other concertos are anything but nothingburgers. Balancing the Vivaldi is the program’s concluding work: Johannes Brahms’ passionate Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25. After the music, Geoff catches up with pianist and frequent chamber series performer Inon Barnatan. The two talk about his career, special pandemic projects, and fond memories of past festivals.

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage , Geoff Nuttall and Bradley Fuller look back on a concert performed as part of the 2016 Spoleto Festival Chamber Music Series. After discussing what makes it one of the most memorable performances from the past decade of the series, the two enjoy a listen to the program. Andrew Norman’s Garden of Follies comes first, featuring oboist James Austin Smith and pianist Pedja Muzijevic. Next is a baroque-era work inspired by a Cervantes novel: Georg Philipp Telemann’s Ouverture-Suite, TWV 55:G10 “Burlesque de Quixotte.” The concert concludes with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Sonata in G minor for Cello and Piano, op. 19, performed by cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan. After the concert, Bradley catches up with pianist and chamber-series regular Pedja Muzijevic to learn more about his current projects, programming decisions, and musical career—including what makes his involvement with Spoleto Festival so rewarding.

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage , Geoff Nuttall introduces Bradley Fuller to another of the most memorable Spoleto Festival USA chamber music programs from the past decade. This 2016 concert includes moving arias by Handel (with countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo performing), an expressive keyboard sonata by CPE Bach, and César Franck’s intensely passionate Piano Quintet in F minor. Following the performance, Bradley speaks with violist, educator, and intended composer-in-residence for the 2020 chamber music series Jessica Meyer. A recording of Meyer’s Seasons of Basho—a work slated for performance in the chamber series—comes after their conversation.

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage , Geoff Nuttall shares with co-host Bradley Fuller about one of his favorite Spoleto Festival USA Chamber Music Series concerts from the past ten years: a 2011 program featuring Osvaldo Golijov’s “Lullaby and Doina” from The Man Who Cried , Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s “The Union: Concert Paraphrase on National Airs,” and Franz Schubert’s String Quintet in C Major, D. 956, also known as his “Cello Quintet.” After performances of the solo and chamber selections, Spoleto Festival General Manager Nigel Redden joins Bradley to discuss the difficult decision to cancel the two-week arts event for 2020 and to highlight some of its next steps.

On this first episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2020, hosts Bradley Fuller and Geoff Nuttall discuss one of Geoff’s most memorable performances from the past decade of the Spoleto Festival USA Bank of America Chamber Music Series: a 2013 concert including Antonio Vivaldi’s Chamber Concerto in G minor, RV 107, Max Bruch’s String Octet in B-flat major, and André Messager’s “Tzigane” Theme and Variations from Les Deux Pigeons as arranged by longtime chamber series clarinetist Todd Palmer. Following a recording of that performance, Palmer shares how he came to discover the Messager work.

On this final episode of Spoleto Backstage for 2019, host Adam Parker speaks with Cora Bissett, writer and star, and Orla O'Loughlin, director, of the play "What Dreams Are Made Of." Based on Bissett's life story, the production follows a Scottish schoolgirl's rise to rock and roll stardorm and her rollercoaster journey along the way.

On this edition of Spoleto Backstage , host Adam Parker chats with Rob Taylor, director of Choral Activities at the College of Charleston, artistic director of the Taylor Festival Choir, and director of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Singers, about his series of choral concerts as part of Piccolo Spoleto Festival 2019. Sonatas and Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller speaks with Joe Miller, director of Choral Acivitives for Spoleto Festival USA and director of the Westminster Choir, about that group's performances at this year's festival. And we hear from directors Patric Caurier and Moshe Leiser about their contemporary production of Richard Strauss' opera "Salome" at Spoleto Festival 2019. You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of the festival on their website here . And learn more about Spoleto Festival USA on their website here .

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , host Adam Parker speaks with mandolinist and singer-songwriter Chris Thile of the progressive bluegrass group Punch Brothers about their history of performing at Spoleto Festival USA. The two also discuss Thile's experiences as host of the public radio program Live From Here . Then, Adam speaks with Brendan O'Hea, touring director with the Shakespeare's Globe theater, about the group's unique productions of The Bard's works at this year's festival. You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of the festival on their website here . And learn more about Spoleto Festival USA on their website here .

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , host Adam Parker interviews singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz about I'm With Her, a folk trio consisting of Jarosz, Sara Watkins, and Aoife O’Donovan. Sonatas and Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller speaks with Lillian Heley and Paul Barrit of the 1927 Theatre Company about the world premiere of their latest work, "Roots," at Spoleto Festival USA. And Bradley Fuller also chats with Paul Wiankco, composer-in-residence for the Bank of America Chamber Music Series at Dock Street Theater, about this year's series. You can subscribe to Spoleto Backstage in Apple Podcasts , Google Play , and Stitcher . Follow The Post and Courier's coverage of the festival on their website here . And learn more about Spoleto Festival USA on their website here .

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , we learn about this year's Piccolo Spoleto Festival from Scott Watson, director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the city of Charleston, and violinist Yuriy Bekker, concertmaster for the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Host Adam Parker speaks with stage director David Herskovitz about his innovative new play, "Pay No Attention to the Girl." And filmmaker Amos Gitai joins us with a preview of his multimedia performance "Letter to a Friend in Gaza."

The Spoleto Backstage podcast returns for 2019 to introduce you to the artists and people who make things happen at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston. Join host Adam Parker of the Post and Courier as we speak to key figures and artists about their performances before they go live. On this episode, Adam gets an inside scoop on this year's festival from Spoleto Festival USA General Director Nigel Redden, Sonatas & Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller speaks with Chamber Music series director/host Geoff Nuttall, and we hear from acclaimed Cuban jazz pianist David Virelles.

In this season finale of Spoleto Backstage , Jeanette Guinn talks with the stars of The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk , Marc Antolin and Daisy Maywood. Victoria Hansen speaks with Geoff Nuttall, artistic director for the Spoleto Chamber Music Series, about working with local schools to introduce classical music to students. Then, Christian Orendt , one half of the artistic duo behind The Carrion Cheer: A Faunistic Tragedy on display at The Halsey Institute, explains the in between of life and death.

In this episode of Spoleto Backstage, Jeanette Guinn sits down with Spoleto's busiest conductor John Kennedy who will be involved with three of this years performances: Music in Time , Tree of Codes , and You are Mine Own . We also get to hear from the conductor of Pia de Tolomei, Lidiya Yankovskaya.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , we chat with David Lee Nelson, writer and star of "Stages." Reporter Victoria Hansen takes you behind the scenes of Spoleto’s educational program. And finally, we speak with "Borders" playwright Henry Naylor and star Avital Lvova.

On this episode of Spoleto Backstage , trumpeter Charleton Singleton talks about the success of Gullah-inspired jazz ensemble Ranky Tanky. Sonatas and Soundscapes host Bradley Fuller meets up with Marco Ceco, the conductor of the Colla and Sons Marionette’s production of "Il Matromonio Segreto." And Joy Vandervort-Cobb, associate professor of African American Theatre and Performance at the College of Charleston, discusses directing the play "Chore Monkeys" as part of Piccolo Spoleto Festival 2018.

To kick off Spoleto Festival USA , we interviewed key figures and artists about their performances before they go live. Let us take you backstage to get the inside scoop from Spoleto’s general director, Nigel Redden; the mayor of Charleston, John Tecklenburg; and the director/host of the Chamber Music series, Geoff Nuttall .

Spoleto Backstage is a new short-run podcast taking you behind the curtain to meet the artists and people who make things happen at Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston. In this teaser episode, host Jeanette Guinn introduces you to the show and previews what you can expect during the festival.