Charlton Singleton & Friends

Two-time Grammy Award Winner Charlton Singleton is a native of Awendaw, SC. He began his musical studies at the age of three on the piano. Throughout his youth, he studied the organ, violin, cello, and trumpet. In 1994, he graduated from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance.

After college, he taught music at all grade school levels, and was the adjunct faculty member at the College of Charleston. In 2008, he co-founded and became the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Charleston Jazz Orchestra; an 18-piece jazz ensemble of professional musicians in the Southeast and the resident big band in Charleston, SC.

In November of 2016, he was named the inaugural Artist in Residence at the Gaillard Center in Charleston. He remained in this position until July 2019; and was subsequently named Artist in Residence Emeritus where he continues to lead the Summer Youth Jazz Orchestra Camp as well as lead the “Jazz Through the Ages” assembly. Mr. Singleton is also the organist and choir director at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Charleston, SC.

As a performer, Charlton leads his own ensembles that vary in size and style and has performed across the nation and internationally. He is a founding member of the two-time Grammy Award Winning group, Ranky Tanky.

Mr. Singleton has also received the 2021 South Carolina Governor’s Award, which is the highest honor for the arts in the state. In March 2023, Charlton was appointed by former Charleston, SC Mayor John Tecklenburg and Charleston City Council as the Artistic Director of the MOJA Arts Festival.

Photo credit: Alice Keeney

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