History of L’Organo

So, what’s with all these Italian names – L’Organo, Spoleto, Piccolo (that’s a relatively tiny and piercing musical instrument, right?)  Isn’t this an American music festival?!...

Gian-Carlo Menotti and Spoleto Festival USA

Well, there is a reason for all this Italian nomenclature at a US music festival – it was founded by an Italian-American: Gian-Carlo Menotti, born in Spoleto, Italy, who came to this country as a teenager and became one of the best-loved American composers of the mid-twentieth century.   His Christmas opera for television, “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” has remained a holiday audience favorite ever since it premiered on NBC in a live broadcast on Christmas Eve 1951.  

He started a festival in his hometown of Spoleto, Italy, in 1958, calling it the Festival of Two Worlds, since his intention was always not only to introduce young American artists to European audiences, but also to pair that with a festival in the US twinned with the Italian festival, using many of the same artists, repertoire, opera productions, etc.   

So he spent a lot of time looking for an American city that would give the same kind of intimate feel as his Italian festival – a small, historic town, with walkable venues, easy access to hotels, food, and drink, and with the possibility of a festive social life as an essential component.  After many trips to many places, he was invited to Charleston for a visit and realized he had found just the right place.

The Influence of Mayor Joe Riley

One of the factors that influenced his decision was the immediate rapport he felt with Joe Riley, the visionary Mayor of Charleston, who was re-elected over and over again to serve an amazing forty years in office.  Joe Riley realized immediately the potential positive impact that bringing a festival like this would bring for Charleston, not only musically but also culturally and even economically.  I was told by a participant in the 1977 first Spoleto Festival USA that at that time, Charleston had just one decent restaurant.  And now…!!!

Joe Riley also saw immediately that while Menotti’s high-culture fans would bring media attention, big spenders and sophisticated audience members, (especially from New York, the Eastern seaboard and Europe) there also needed to be an aspect of the festival to appeal to a broader cross-section of tastes and pockets, for all kinds of political and cultural reasons.  

Charleston City Council Establishes the Piccolo Spoleto Festival

So he persuaded the City Council to set up what was called immediately “Piccolo Spoleto” (yes, “Little Spoleto”) with lower ticket prices, more middle-brow musical offerings, an art show, and even some free open-air events.  To help him on the musical side, Mayor Riley enlisted well-known chamber music artist and member of the Charleston Symphony, cellist Ellen Dressler Moryl.

History of L’Organo

One of her first calls was to well-known Charleston musical leader Ben Hutto, organist at the Cathedral of St. Luke and St. Paul and chorus director at Porter-Gaud School for boys. Ben in turn immediately enlisted the help of his assistant organist, Dr. William Gudger, musicology professor at the College of Charleston (who is happily still with us – Ben Hutto passed some years back, having left Charleston to work first in Charlotte and then in DC, as choral director at St. Alban’s School on the grounds of Washington National Cathedral). 

The Early Years 

Together, they conceived a program for Piccolo Spoleto featuring daily free organ recitals in the hour before the Dock Street theatre chamber music programs (which remains one of the most popular series of Spoleto Festival USA).  They made a feature of highlighting as many of the fine pipe organs in the many downtown historic churches that give Charleston the nickname of “the Holy City.” 

As with the Spoleto festival overall, the fact that these churches are all within walking distance of each other is a major factor.  And, yes, of course, the series had to have an Italian name (you get the picture!) – hence, “L’Organo”!)  

To present these recitals, Ben and Bill (sorry!) invited several local players and other regional artists of repute to produce a rich repertoire suiting the instruments' diverse personalities.  I hope I will be forgiven for a small measure of pride in being able to say that my wife Hazel (having been an organ major at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, under Dr. David Lowry) was one of those invited for the opening season, playing the historic 1845 Erben organ in the French Huguenot church.  

Murray Somerville with Jared Lamenzo at Huguenot Church at 2024 Concert Series

The series as a whole was a major success, and attracted fine players from far and wide to apply to perform, as well as audiences much above the average run of church organ recitals.  (Of course, the extra publicity in press and brochures given by being part of the overall festival certainly helped with this; we even get audience members every year telling us that they come specifically for L’Organo, and that it’s their favorite part of the festival.)

The Organ Concert Series Grows in Importance

In subsequent years, L’Organo has expanded its scope in various ways – by adding occasional full-length evening concerts by major artists (particularly in venues such as the Citadel chapel), and venturing beyond the Peninsula with concerts in Daniel Island, James Island, and West Ashley. 

Our artists come from further and further afield, including now throughout the United States, as well as Europe and particularly Asia.  We also now make a feature of reaching out to music conservatories across the country, inviting organ professors to encourage their best students to apply to perform; having been an artist at L’Organo is now a major resume builder for budding concert artists (you can say you hear them first at L’Organo!).

In this way we provide an equivalent in the organ world of the opportunities Spoleto Festival USA offers to young orchestral musicians in the Festival orchestra, and our audience members get to experience the wealth of young talent that promises so well for the future roster of concert organists (contrary to the doom-laden prognostications of some.)

L'Organo has been the subject of several feature articles in magazines such as The American Organist and The Diapason.  The local chapter of the American Guild of Organists supplies several willing helpers, and also online reviews of each day's performances (since these days it’s very hard to get press reviews, which are so important for career-building). 

Dedicated Volunteers and the City of Charleston

Bringing all this together for the last 46 years has been an ever-changing small team of volunteers, who meet regularly to accomplish a wide variety of essential administrative tasks: evaluating the audition materials, the assembling of all the program information, printing of programs and posters, co-ordinating travel and accommodation arrangements, providing transportation in town, front-of-house tasks such as handing out programs, taking the collection, greeting the audience, and distributing publicity materials throughout the city.  We are all immensely grateful for their labors.

In the last few years, we have been adding an increasing online presence to all this, and this year are thrilled to have added our website, which owes much to new resident Rick May, recently a denizen of Wall Street, for whose great expertise and time investment this year we are indeed most grateful.  I’m also very grateful to all my predecessors in the role of Chairman, starting with Ben Hutto, and including such leaders as Lee Kohlenberg, Julia Harlow, and Robert Gant.

All this happens under the aegis of the Office of Cultural Affairs of the City of Charleston, the agency originally headed by Ellen Dressler Morryl, and now led by Scott Watson.  This was originally brought into being by Mayor Riley and now serves under Mayor Cogswell, for whose support we are most grateful.  Rachel Workman and Latanya Mueller in that office also give much-appreciated logistical support.

So I do hope you are planning to join us again (or for the first time) for L’Organo at festival time. We can promise interesting programs, beautiful organs, superb players, indeed an aural feast.  Learn more about the 2025 Organ Concert Series.  

And Charleston itself, as always, will provide its feasts for the eye, the ear, and the palate.  

Bon appétit!