Charleston Jazz Festival | Charleston Gaillard Center presents Terence Blanchard | Fire Shut Up in My Bones: Opera Suite in Concert
April 21 @ 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM EDT
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Charleston Gaillard Center
Ticket Price: Tickets start at $29
Gaillard Box Office – (843) 242-3099
The Charleston Gaillard Center, in association with the Charleston Jazz Festival, proudly presents Terence Blanchard’s FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES: OPERA SUITE IN CONCERT featuring special guests Justin Austin and Adrienne Danrich. Performed by Terence Blanchard and E-Collective, the performance beautifully bridges the worlds of jazz and classical music, showcasing the emotional depth and improvisational spirit that jazz brings to opera.
Known for his powerful jazz compositions and film scores, Blanchard infuses his operatic work with jazz’s vibrant language and sensibilities, capturing the complexities of African American life with authenticity and nuance. In Fire Shut Up in My Bones, jazz elements provide a distinctly American voice, enriching the narrative with expressive solos, harmonic textures, and rhythmic drive. This suite brings Blanchard’s innovative approach to the concert stage, blending jazz improvisation with operatic grandeur to create a unique, transformative musical experience.
To learn more, click here.
Concert Length: 90 min (no intermission)
Content Warning: This performance contains content that references incidents of sexual assault and child abuse and may not be suitable for children or young teens.
About Terence Blanchard:
Terrence Blanchard is a world-renowned jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader whose career spans over four decades. Renowned for his artistry and innovation, Blanchard is a boundary-breaking force in jazz, opera, and film, crafting music that addresses both historical and contemporary American tragedies.
An eight-time Grammy winner and two-time Oscar nominee, Blanchard has scored over 60 films, collaborated extensively with Spike Lee, and made history as the first Black composer to have an opera performed at the Metropolitan Opera with Fire Shut Up in My Bones. TheaterMania hailed him as “the most exciting American composer working in opera today.”
Born in New Orleans in 1962, Blanchard launched his solo career in the 1990s, releasing 20 albums and earning 15 Grammy nominations. His works, including the civil rights-inspired Breathless, amplify issues of racial and social justice. In 2024, he was named an NEA Jazz Master and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Currently serving as Executive Artistic Director of SFJAZZ, Blanchard continues to redefine genres, using his music to inspire, challenge, and uplift audiences worldwide.
Venue:
Gaillard Center
95 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Parking:
The Charleston Gaillard Center sits on Calhoun Street between Anson Street and Alexander Street.
Parking is available in the City of Charleston garage adjacent to the facility at 33 Alexander St, Charleston, SC 29401, as well as in the City of Charleston garage across from the aquarium located at 24 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC 29401. Both garages accept cash and credit cards.
The closest accessible parking spaces are in the City of Charleston garage at 33 Alexander St. If you have an accessible tag or license plate, you do not have to pay any fee to park in the garage.
Patrons arriving via bus or ride share (like Uber or Lyft) will be directed to use our new dedicated bus/ride share lane located on George Street. This will be the only location for pick-up and drop off for Gaillard Center events.
For complete details visit The Gaillard Center’s website.
Both entrances on George Street and Calhoun Street are handicap accessible. There are handicap-accessible elevators in the shared lobby and within the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall.
Handicap-accessible restrooms are available on every floor of the Charleston Gaillard Center. Handicap-accessible restrooms are available on the Orchestra, Box Tier, and Gallery lobbies within the Martha & John M. Rivers Performance Hall.
There is food, snacks and refreshments available for purchase at the Gaillard Center. Please click here for more information.
Lodging Options:
Note: These links are provided for your convenience. Charleston Jazz does not represent or endorse any of these services.
Bus Services:
The CARTA bus system offers a free downtown shuttle called the DASH. Visit their site for map and schedule here.
Car Services:
There are a variety of local transportation services available including taxis, Uber and Lyft.
Pedi Cab Services
Note: These links are provided for your convenience. Charleston Jazz does not represent or endorse any of these services.
There are refreshments available for purchase at the Gaillard Center. Please click here for more information.
See you at the show!
