Tanglewood, Lenox, MA
through September 4, 2022
This is the first summer since 2019 when all venues on the lush Tanglewood campus in the beautiful Massachusetts Berkshire town of Lenox are fully open to the public.
At this writing, no proof of Covid vaccination or negative test results is needed to enter Tanglewood. Masking is optional on the grounds and in the open-air Kousssevitzky Music Shed but highly recommended (though not required) in indoor performance spaces like Ozawa Hall and the Linde Center.
Here are some major highlights of the 2022 Tanglewood season:
*Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andris Nelsons will lead most BSO weekend concerts (Friday-Sunday) in July
*BSO guest conductors in August include: JoAnn Falletta (BSO debut, August 7); returning favorites Dima Slobodeniouk (August 13 & 21) and Michael Tilson Thomas (August 27-28); and BSO assistant conductors Earl Lee (August 5) and Anna Rakitina (August 26)
*Guest soloists performing with the BSO include: returning favorites, pianist Paul Lewis (July 29-31), violinist Joshua Bell (August 7), and cellist Yo-Yo Ma (August 14); and debuts by pianists Seong-Jin Cho (July 24) and Alexander Malofeev (August 27), soprano Ying Fang (July 17), and bass-baritone Dashon Burton (August 28)
*The Boston Pops and their conductor, Keith Lockhart, present two programs: live performance of John Williams' score for a showing of "The Empire Strikes Back" (July 15); "Remembering Stephen Sondheim," with a cast of Broadway vocalists (August 19)
*Tanglewood Music Center fellows (early career musicians enrolled in the BSO's summer academy for advanced musical study) perform in chamber music and TMC Orchestra concerts, mostly in Ozawa Hall and the Linde Center, throughout the summer
*Special events presented by one or more of the above ensembles include: annual Tanglewood on Parade concerts (August 2); annual Festival of Contemporary Music (August 4-8); and "John Williams - The Tanglewood 90th Birthday Celebration" (August 20)
*The Boston University Tanglewood Institute gives advanced training to talented musicians aged 14-20 who also perform at Tanglewood in chamber music and orchestra concerts with their peers throughout the summer
*A recital series of programs by world-renowned soloists and ensembles in Ozawa Hall includes: "Pathways from Prague," a three-concert series of Czech music featuring pianist Emanuel Ax (July 7 & 14; August 12); and a four-concert series of Brahms' complete piano music by pianist Garrick Ohlsson (August 16, 18, 23 & 25)
*The Tanglewood Learning Institute offers many educational events about the arts for the general public, including: an "open conducting workshop" with Andris Nelsons (July 28); "Spotlight Series" talks by U.S. Poet Laureate Jay Harjo (July 30) and playwright Tony Kushner and theater critic Jesse Green (August 20); and a concert performance by Cecile McLorin Salvant of her album "Ghost Story" (August 21)
*Performers appearing in Tanglewood's Popular Artists Series throughout the summer include: Brandi Carlisle & the Indigo Girls (August 30); Judy Collins & Richard Thompson (September 3); and Van Morrison (September 4)
So why not "escape to extraordinary" musical and natural adventures at Tanglewood this summer? Tickets can be ordered online www.bso.org/tanglewood or by phone (888-266-1200).