About Spoleto Study Abroad

Mission

A collaborative community of artists and scholars gathered to explore deeply the rich cultural heritage of central Italy while fostering individual artistic, intellectual and personal growth. Our core purpose is to elevate the human spirit.

Vision

To make the town of Spoleto, Italy a place where people can gather year-round to elevate their mind and body through integrated experiences meant to feed their spirit.

Core Values

Beauty – we explore aesthetics as a means to move the heart and transform the mind 
Immersion – we connect deeply with community
Creativity – we leverage the arts as a means to foster reflection and self-discovery 

Our Directors

In 1997, Jill and Lorenzo Muti, with the support of seven independent schools and private funding from both the United States and Italy, created Spoleto Study Abroad, a non-profit educational organization. Its original purpose was to enrich professional development opportunities for teachers, school administrators and interested adults through exposure to the historical, architectural, and cultural riches of the Italian arts and humanities with yearly tours to various regions in Italy. In 1998, a four-week summer session for high school students was launched. Over the last 21 years, the two distinct programs have enjoyed continued success and have grown significantly. The number of independent schools in the consortium has increased from seven to sixteen. A Board of Directors, comprised of Heads of School or designated delegates from their schools, governs the organization.

Lorenzo and Jill Muti have extensive experience working with young people, both in the United States and abroad. A native of Spoleto, Italy, Maestro Muti received his musical education at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, the Juilliard School in New York City, and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy. He has conducted for both the Italian and American Spoleto Festivals, in major European cities, including Rome, Florence, Milan, London (London Symphony, BBC Symphony), Amsterdam (Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Opera Company), and for several American opera companies (Washington, Michigan, Connecticut, Providence). He was affiliated for over fifteen years with Duke University, where he taught music history and opera as well as conducted the orchestra.  He has also been a member of the faculty of the College of Charleston and served as the conductor of the orchestra. Maestro Muti is currently the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle in Raleigh/Durham, NC.

Jill Muti holds degrees from Interlochen Arts Academy, DePauw University and Duke University. A flutist, she has performed at the Spoleto Festival in Spoleto, Italy and with numerous organizations both regionally and in Norway, Austria, and Italy. In 1990, she was made chair of the Fine Arts Department at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh, North Carolina; was named Director of Fine Arts in 1993; and in 2001, became Assistant Head of School. Throughout her tenure there, she received two national grants sponsored by the Council of Basic Education (NEH) and the Ravenscroft School Helton Award for Teaching Excellence. Jill is currently the Head of School at Ashley Hall, a girls' school in Charleston, South Carolina where she was appointed on July 1, 2004.