Varna International Music Academy will present the 2025 Muzika Festival in June, with events around the state, including in Richland, Lexington, Greenville, Sumter, and Horry counties. Events will include lectures, a symposia, masterclasses, and performances. SC Humanities supported this series of programs with a Mini Grant.
The Muzika Festival is an annual event that brings together the power of orchestral concerts, the energy of Broadway musicals, the drama of opera, and the beauty of choral music. It is a rare opportunity to hear world-class artists and celebrate the mastery of the performing arts. The goal of the programming is to deepen people’s appreciation of musical forms of expression.
A variety of concerts and performances will take place around the state from June 7 – June 29th, including:
Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 3:00 p.m.
Sephardic Art Song: From Folk Roots to Classical Heights
Experience the rich tapestry of Sephardic culture through music in an evocative recital by Turkish mezzo-soprano, Dr. Lori Şen. Drawing on centuries of tradition and the unique journey of Sephardim across the globe, this program highlights the fusion of Sephardic folk melodies with the Western classical art song tradition.
Featuring Lori Sen, Mezzo-Soprano
Location: Temple Sinai, 11 Church St, Sumter, SC, 29150
Free admission
Learn more: https://muzika.ticketspice.com/sephardic-art-song-from-folk-roots-to-classical-heights
Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 6:00 p.m.
Celebrations and Lamentations: A New Orleans Portrait
Celebrations and Lamentations: A New Orleans Portrait invites audiences on a stirring journey through the streets of America’s most musical city. In New Orleans, music is life itself. From jubilant second-line parades to mournful dirges that honor the departed, the sound of brass carries the stories of a resilient people.
Location: Shortess Chapel, Columbia International University, 7435 Monticello Rd, Columbia, SC, 29203
Tickets: $35
Learn more: https://muzika.ticketspice.com/celebrations-and-lamentations-a-new-orleans-portrait
Sunday, June 15, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. – Richland Two Performing Arts Center, Columbia
Saturday, June 21, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. – Ground Zero, Myrtle Beach
Monday, June 23, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. – Hartness Performing Arts Center, Greenville
Rogers & Hammerstein: A Grand Night for Song
A Grand Night for Singing celebrates the most successful partnership in Broadway musical history – Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein – by featuring the music from over 30 of the duo’s top hits, including The King and I, Carousel, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Cinderella, & more! Audience members will be tapping their toes as singers from South Carolina & across the US perform with the Muzika! Festival’s live jazz orchestra.
Locations and dates of the event vary
Ticketed
Learn more: https://varnainternational.com/sc2025tickets/
⇒To learn about other concerts and program opportunities, view the full schedule on the website here: https://varnainternational.com/sc2025tickets/.⇐
Additionally, there will be a series of lectures and masterclasses featuring some of the world-renowned performers and scholars at Columbia International University. These events are all free and open to the public:
Wednesday, June 4 (6:30 PM-7:30 PM): Bel Canto Style Masterclass I with Amy Shoremount-Obra – CIU Campus: Jones Seminar Room
Friday, June 6 (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM): Jazz Masterclass with Mark Rapp – CIU Campus: Shortess Chapel
Saturday, June 7 (7:30 PM – 9:00 PM): Sephardic Art Song Masterclass with Lori Sen – CIU Campus: Jones Seminar Room
Monday, June 9 (7:00 PM – 8:30 PM): String Masterclass with Levon Ambartsumian – CIU Campus: Shortess Chapel
Thursday, June 12 (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM): String Masterclass with Ilya Kaler – CIU Campus: Jones Building (Room TBD)
Thursday, June 12 (6:00 PM – 7:00 PM): Rising Stars Vocal Masterclass – CIU Campus: TBD
Thursday, June 12 (7:00 PM – 8:15 PM): Symposium with Ilya Kaler & Levon Ambartsumian moderated by Bradley Fuller from SCETV – USC Campus: Johnson Hall
Monday, June 16 (10:30-11:30): Rising Stars Vocal Masterclass – CIU Campus: TBD
Thursday, June 19 (3:00 PM – 4:00 PM): Rising Stars Vocal Masterclass – CIU Campus: TBD
Thursday, June 19 (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM): Bel Canto Style Masterclass II with Amy Shoremount-Obra – CIU Campus: Hoke Auditorium
Wednesday, June 25 (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM): Bel Canto Style Masterclass III with Amy Shoremount-Obra – CIU Campus: Shortess Chapel
The Festival director said, “This project aims to promote dialogue between the humanities and fine arts in a way that enhances the participants and community members’ understanding and appreciation of both of these areas, in light of lessons learned from history.”
With home offices in Columbia, SC, Varna International connects rich musical history with the need of choirs and orchestras around the world for expert music training coupled with exceptional performance opportunities. Learn more: https://varnainternational.com/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c)3 organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos, and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually. South Carolina Humanities receives funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities as well as corporate, foundation and individual donors. The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.
