Spoleto Festival unveils lineup for 2010

The Spoleto Festival USA released its 2010 schedule today. I’ve written a bit more about it online at Free Times http://www.free-times.com that’s posted today and a full story will run in Free Times Wednesday.
To me, this looks like a very good year after a year that for Spoleto, like most arts groups, involved some cuts.
Of course one never knows. There have been years when I wasn’t all that excited about what the festival promised and then saw some great things. Other times I’ve been jacked about what was coming up but finished the festival a little disappointed.

Here are a few events for the year's festival, which starts Memorial Day Weekend, that have me intrigued. I've included links to videos so you can get an idea of what's in store.

“Proserpina,” a new opera by German composer Wolfgang Rihm, based on a Greek myth. The 2008 work has only been produced once before.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tg_EDa2TkA

“Block Ice and Propane” is a narrative of images, stories and cello music by Erik Friedlander, based on family travels led by his father the famous photographer Lee Friedlander. (right)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmZU4CV3mgc

Dance, theater and a bit of circus by Inbal Pinto and Avshalom Pollak Dance Company which is based in Israel. (top) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMT2nvq8YB4&feature=PlayList&p=402E22E8C676C4A9&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

Polish pianist Leszek Mozdzer who puts his own spin on the music of Chopin, Duke Ellington and Nirvana. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMmfbggdjI

The contemporary string quartet Brooklyn Rider (above).http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqWLhVMcQxE&feature=related

Then there's Bassekou Kouyate, a
lute player from Mali, who has
recorded with Bela Fleck, U2 and Carlos Santana.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rDQYImnzwU

Oh, and let's not forget super-famous soprano Dawn Upshaw, who will be singing a new work written just for her at the chamber music series.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eulM3q_NCIU&feature=related

Also this year the Gibbes Museum of Art and the new gallery at the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art at the College of Charleston will be an "offical" part of the festival.
The Gibbes is showing new color photos of Spoleto, Italy, by JoAnn Verburg and the Halsey has "Call and Response: Africa to America / The Art of Nick Cave and Phyllis Galembo" consisting of Cave's sculptural "Soundsuits" (left) made of  fabrics, embroidery, beadwork, raffia and other stuff and Galembo's photographic portraits of masqueraders from West Africa.

The festival runs May 28 - June 13.http://www.spoletousa.org/ 
And you can probably afford it - tickets starts at $10.