THE ART OF FINE LIVING doesn’t get much better than when it combines world-class chamber music with fine wine and gourmet food. Which is what’s going to happen Saturday night, October 15 as Chamber Music Charleston presents “A Celebration of Germany,” the first of its distinctive Memminger Concert Series. What makes these concerts unique... Read »

PIANO DUO RECITALS being relatively rare beasts, it was a particular pleasure to attend last Tuesday evening’s International Piano Series recital at the Sottile Theatre, featuring the widely-acclaimed Long Duo. Sisters Beatrice and Christina Long have established themselves as one of the world’s leading duo-piano teams, while also enjoying distinguished individual solo careers. Our... Read »

NO WONDER the Taylor Festival Choir has such a stellar reputation. Their concentration, their precision, their passion, and, above all, their unity of  sound are unsurpassed. And then there’s director Robert Taylor’s tasteful flair for the theatrical—this time in the form of the choir’s courtly entrance, striding two-by-two, in measured pace to the music... Read »

IT’S BACK TO the Sottile Theatre after many months of restoration, and what better way to start the twenty-second year of the International Piano Series than with a double dose of piano—in this case by two sisters who will present a wide array of musical selections (see Lindsay Koob’s program notes below). Born in... Read »

NOTWITHSTANDING THE PLAY’S TITLE, “Educating Rita” presents its two characters and their journey together in far more than literal terms. When the eager, young Rita first meets Frank—her elder, disillusioned tutor—she asks excitedly, “What’s it like to be free?” After all, he’s the one—the tenured professor—who knows “everything” and can lead her to the... Read »

WHEN THE CONFLUENCE of playwright, cast, director, and every production element—down to the intr’acte music—reaches the level that PURE Theatre did Friday night, an evening of theatre becomes an extraordinary experience. Hyperbole? Hardly. A miracle of sorts took place in the company’s new performance home, the Charleston Ballet Theatre on King Street downtown, and... Read »

CAUGHT UP as we are in these frantic, full-bore, financially uncertain times, it is not easy to slip away, find a few minutes of outer—not to mention inner—quiet, and get away from it all. Yes, this is what we try to do on our walks, runs, and bicycle rides, or within the secret seclusion... Read »

“I DON’T WANT REALISM. I want magic!” says Blanche in a line that captures the essence of all the characters in Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer-Prize winning play, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” now at the Village Playhouse. Well, what they want is exactly what none of them get in this epitome of Williams’ taut psychological portrayals,... Read »

WHAT MAKES OPERA so powerful, so inspiring? And what is so unique about the art of conducting opera versus orchestral music? There are a lot of answers to these questions, but a great place to start is with some of the world’s leading opera conductors who in this interview share their knowledge of, insight... Read »

FLUTIST MONICA TARAGANO hails from Argentina, lives in Paris, and performs around the world both as a soloist and with the ensemble she co-founded, AlmaViva. At its core, AlmaViva is a unique piano, guitar, and flute trio with impassioned musicianship and impeccable style. They compel you to listen and to keep listening, which you... Read »

WHEN SHE IS NOT GIVING workshops, or painting the Lowcountry or the streets of Paris, Hilarie Lambert spends her days tucked away in a charming second-story studio on Broad Street. The narrow rooms, adorned with oil paintings, exude a fresh, distinct, invigorating style in a wide range of themes—all with a very human touch.... Read »