Muzika!, a classical music festival, set to debut along South Carolina’s Hammock Coast

South Carolina’s Hammock Coast will host Muzika!, a classical music festival featuring fully staged operas, choral orchestral concerts, Broadway Revues, and Chamber performances this summer.

Muzika, which will be held June 29 – July 16 at multiple venues in Georgetown County, will bring nearly 200 musicians to the area, further enhancing the Hammock Coast’s growing reputation as a hotbed for the arts. Varna International, the festival organizer, plans to make Muzika! part of the area’s annual calendar.

On June 29, lovers of the arts will also relish the opportunity to enjoy “From Bach to Broadway,” an evening of music featuring David Crawford, a Metropolitan Opera soloist, and pianist Kate Wogoman at Pawleys Island Community Church.

And on June 30, at Georgetown’s historic Winyah Auditorium, Metropolitan Opera mezzo-soprano Renée Tatum will be featured in a recital of Johannes Brahams, Samuel Barber and other select composer.

In total, Muzika! will feature more than 25 performances, including a pair of operas – Street Scene by Kurt Weill and The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart – slated to be held at Howard Auditorium in historic Georgetown. Top professional singers and conductors from The Metropolitan Opera and other world-class organizations will be part of the opera performances.

Metropolitan Opera maestro Gregory Buchalter will be on hand in Georgetown County to conduct Street Scene for three performances: July 6 at 7 p.m. and on July 7 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Dr. Charles Evans of the Long Bay Symphony will conduct The Marriage of Figaro, which will also be performed three times — at 7 p.m. on July 14 and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on July 15.

The Broadway and chamber performances will be held at the Winyah Auditorium and in area churches. Here is a complete list of events for Muzika events on the Hammock Coast:

• June 27: 7 p.m. Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Murrells Inlet
• June 29: 7 p.m. David Crawford, Metropolitan Opera Soloist Voice Recital, Pawleys Island Community Church
• June 30: 7 p.m. Renee Tatum, Metropolitan Opera Soloist, Voice Recital, Winyah Auditorium, Georgetown
• July 1: 7 p.m. Broadway Revue, Winyah Auditorium, Georgetown
• July 6: 7 p.m. Kurt Weill’s Street Scene Opera, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown
• July 7: 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Kurt Weill’s Street Scene Opera, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown
• July 9: 6 p.m. Chamber Music Recital, Belin Memorial United Methodist Church, Murrells Inlet
• July 11: 7 p.m. Instrumental Chamber Ensemble, Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church, Georgetown
• July 14: 7 p.m. Mozart Opera, The Marriage of Figaro, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown
• July 15: 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Mozart Opera, The Marriage of Figaro, Howard Auditorium, Georgetown

“We are thrilled to be hosting Muzika! here on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast,” said Beth Stedman, president and CEO of the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, “and it’s wonderful to welcome all the talented singers and musicians to our community. This is a rare opportunity to attend world-class performances in our own backyard.

“We know local residents and the many tourists visiting the Hammock Coast this summer will love these special events. We really want to thank Varna International, a Chamber of Commerce member, for making all

About South Carolina’s Hammock Coast

Georgetown County’s casual charm and Southern hospitality earned it the nickname Hammock Coast. Adventure and relaxation blend together in perfect harmony, like the flowing and ebbing of waves on the county’s famed beaches. With six communities – Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island, Georgetown and Andrews – comprising the pristine coastal area between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, visitors can experience South Carolina’s Hammock Coast like never before.

For more information about all of the Hammock Coast, visit www.HammockCoastSC.com.