Dianne Richardson has been vocal coach for Spoleto performers since the beginning. She began her work, playing piano at rehearsals as well as coaching, at the invitation of festival founder Gian Carlo Menotti. In the early days, productions performed at Spoleto Festival USA would finish their run, then move to the Spoleto Festival in Italy.
Richardson says that, of all the wonderful productions on which she has worked at Spoleto, including Elektra, Salome and Die Meistersinger, Porgy and Bess is her favorite.