Ashley Hall, Charleston Gaillard Center, Charleston Symphony, Rivers Foundation, and Spoleto Festival USA will jointly host A Tribute to Martha Rivers Ingram on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall at the Charleston Gaillard Center.
The evening will celebrate Ingram’s contributions to the arts, education, and greater Charleston community, following her passing in August 2026.
Born and raised in Charleston, Ingram graduated from Ashley Hall before earning a history degree from Vassar College. She maintained lifelong ties to her hometown and was deeply engaged with its cultural and educational institutions, serving on the boards of Ashley Hall, Charleston Gaillard Center, Rivers Foundation, and Spoleto Festival USA. She was an integral force in the development of the Charleston Gaillard Center and maintained longstanding commitments to the Charleston Symphony, Spoleto Festival USA and her alma mater, Ashley Hall.
The Tribute will feature a program of musical selections reflecting the breadth of Ingram’s interests in the arts, including opera, musical theater, and symphonic and chamber music. Zuill Bailey, renowned cellist and close personal friend of Ingram's, her grandson, Henry Ingram, members of Spoleto Festival USA’s Bank of America Chamber Music series, and soprano Nicole Heaston will perform as part of the evening, along with choirs from Ashley Hall and Charleston County School of the Arts, honoring her dedication to arts education. A full program will be released at a later date.
“Martha Rivers Ingram, Ashley Hall Class of 1953 and former Board of Trustees member, embodied the Ashley Hall mission and understood the profound role the arts play in preparing young women to meet the challenges of their world with confidence,” said Anne Frances Bleecker, Ashley Hall Class of 1976 and former Ashley Hall Board of Trustees Chair. “Her unwavering commitment to nurturing our students’ artistic spirit has left an enduring legacy at Ashley Hall through the creation of the Ingram Arts Center. In 2004, the School established the Martha Rivers Ingram ’53 Award in her honor to recognize alumnae who have achieved distinction in the arts, a fitting tribute to her belief in the power of artistic expression. We are deeply grateful for all Martha contributed to Ashley Hall and honored to celebrate her extraordinary legacy.”
"Martha Rivers Ingram shaped this community in ways that will be felt for generations," said Lissa Frenkel, President and CEO of the Charleston Gaillard Center. "It is a privilege for the Gaillard to join with these organizations, for the type of artistic collaboration that she would have relished, to honor her legacy in the very Hall she made possible."
“Martha was one of a kind, a visionary who led with class, grace, strength, and dignity,” said Yuriy Bekker, Artistic Director and Concertmaster of the Charleston Symphony. “She led by example and backed it up with her own actions. She was a fighter for the betterment of our community and humanity.”
“Martha’s many generosities to Charleston were born of a love of her home community, the place that grounded and lifted her and enabled her vision of the art of the possible—that what is important to do can be accomplished, said Renée Anderson, President, CEO, and Founding Director of the Rivers Foundation. “Always deeply thoughtful and insightful, her involvement with Ashley Hall, the Charleston Symphony, and Spoleto Festival USA were her tribute to Charleston, collaborating to create something by Charleston for Charleston. Performing arts and education fueled her passion, and the Rivers Foundation was created to help secure her vision now and in Charleston’s future. The Rivers Endowment is designed to grow and support these passions in perpetuity, for Charleston’s performing arts. That is our forever tribute to Martha.”
“Martha Rivers Ingram understood that generosity is not simply about giving. It is about believing in something deeply enough to help make its future possible,” said Mena Mark Hanna, General Director and CEO of Spoleto Festival USA. “She gave Spoleto her time, her conviction, her leadership, and, above all, an extraordinary generosity of spirit. Her impact can be felt in the Festival we are today and throughout the cultural life of Charleston. This concert is an opportunity for us to celebrate Martha as she lived: with a profound love of music, a belief in the power of the arts, and a remarkable willingness to give of herself so that others could experience them.”
A limited number of tickets are available to the public at gaillardcenter.org.