Spoleto Festival, also called Festival of the Two Worlds, annual summer arts festival held in Spoleto, Italy. Founded by the composer Gian-Carlo Menotti and the conductor Thomas Schippers, the festival has been held annually since 1958. It features the works of composers, singers, and musicians, as well as writers, actors, painters, and sculptors from all over the world. In 1999 Francis Menotti, the founder's adopted son, became its artistic director and in 2007 Giorgio Ferrara, an Italian film and theater director, succeeded him as the festival's director. The Spoleto Festival U.S.A., an American version of the festival also instituted by Menotti, has been held in Charleston, S.C., since 1977. Although Menotti broke with the American festival in 1993, it continues to be an active musical institution.
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