KV2 Audio is Official Sound Partner at Spoleto Festival USA

	"We deployed one ESR212 system and a single EX1.8 sub on the ground at each side, along with two ESD36 loudspeakers for front fills."

For 17 days and nights each spring, Charleston, South Carolina, welcomes hundreds of performers to fill its historic venues. Spoleto Festival USA, the American counterpart to Italy's Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy, celebrates theatre, opera, dance, and orchestral, jazz, and contemporary music. To bring these performances to life, KV2 Audio was selected as the official sound partner.

Having collaborated with the festival in previous years, sound design and audio specialists Autograph A2D returned to install the 2025 sound system. "We've been involved over the years through sound designer Lew Mead," says Preston Dunnavant, sound engineer at Autograph A2D. "In 2023, I took over from Lew as lead sound designer for the festival, overseeing the supply and setup of audio equipment across all venues.

"This year, I designed the complete audio system -- from microphones to PA -- for six venues and provided additional equipment for four others," Dunnavant continues. "Previously, we supplied and installed KV2's ESR system for theatre performances in one of Spoleto's seasonal venues. Based on that success, and my experience hearing them on Broadway shows and at the Milevsko factory, I decided KV2 would be the ideal choice for the festival's three main venues."

From a technician's point of view, the festival presents many challenges. "We have 12 days to install systems across eight venues in preparation for 120 performances," Dunnavant says. "Then, when it's all over, we've got one week to take it all down. I spec'd a KV2 system for three venues based on what was available from our sales partner, Masque Sound, who had limited stock at the time. Thankfully, through discussions and a factory tour with KV2's Jonathan Reece, Dominik Krampera, and Sascha Khelifa, we were able to put together a system with what was available from KV2's Czech and US factories."

Cistern Yard, located outdoors on the grounds of the Charleston College, "was one of our largest venues," says Dunnavant. "We used a VHD2.0 system with the 1.0 downfill, supported by a VHD2.21 and three VHD2.16 on each side of the stage. Six ESD25 were deployed as front fills, with one ESR215 per side stacked on road cases for out fills, ensuring sound reached across the wide yard." In a 2,000-capacity venue such as this, consistent precision and even distribution were essential. "The detail and clarity were like nothing I'd ever heard at the festival before," Dunnavant says.

At the Emmett Robinson Theatre, a much smaller venue with a capacity of 310, Dunnavant says, "We deployed one ESR212 system and a single EX1.8 sub on the ground at each side, along with two ESD36 loudspeakers for front fills. This system was perfect for the space -- minimal but brought phenomenal sound to a variety of performances."

The Festival Hall, seating 1,000, required careful attention to both power and coverage. "We used two ES1.0 as mains, supported by four ES1.8 and two EX1.8 subs arrayed along the front of the stage, and six ESD5s as front fills," he adds.

"On paper, this system appears a little bit mismatched, but we achieved fantastic results," notes Dunnavant. "For the design challenges, I have to give a lot of credit to Jonathan for his guidance, as well as the flexibility of KV2 products in a variety of setups and applications. One of our major concerns for the systems was matching low-end and top-end power, but thanks to Jonathan, we found this balance, and it was just a matter of making adjustments when in the venue."

KV2's intuitive rigging design made the setup significantly easier than previous years, Dunnavant notes: "Hanging the VHD2.0 was a breeze! It's much quicker than setting up our usual line array boxes. With the ES1.0, I was even able to rig the speakers on my own. It's such a powerful loudspeaker in a compact, lightweight package.

"I was so pleased with the results we got from the KV2 systems," Dunnavant says. "I got a lot of compliments from the guest engineers about the sound quality. Pete Keppler, the front-of-house engineer for Patti Smith, shared his appreciation for the system's performance."