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Massachusetts

Tanglewood: Meet the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Its Summer Home

Program No. 15533RJ

Discover the historic summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, reveling in world-class music, fine art, local cuisine and pristine nature in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains.

Wishlist

Music Festivals Music Appreciation

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5 days

4 nights

11 meals

4B 3L 4D

Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation

Central Berkshires - Pittsfield

Edith Wharton House, Tanglewood, BSO Concert

Central Berkshires - Pittsfield

Tanglewood, BSO Concert, Free Time

Central Berkshires - Pittsfield

Tanglewood Chamber Music Concert, BSO Concert

Central Berkshires - Pittsfield

Program Concludes

Central Berkshires - Pittsfield

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At a Glance

Tanglewood has been the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1936. Attend four concerts and discover the Tanglewood grounds on an expert-led exploration, with behind the-scenes access to performers and BSO staff. Hear instrument demonstrations with BSO musicians and attend lectures to heighten your enjoyment of the concerts.

Activity Level

On Your Feet

Walking one hour or more, uneven terrain. Sitting during performances and lectures.

Best of all, you’ll…

Attend live concerts at Tanglewood to take in the immense talent of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Meet BSO instrumentalists to discuss what it is like to be in a world-class symphony orchestra, and learn from BSO staff about its inner workings.
Explore other unique parts of the Berkshires outside of the music scene, such as the Norman Rockwell Museum.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available. Boston transfer at added cost. Additionally, due to the program lectures and concerts, we are limiting the enrollment to 70 people.

Featured Expert

All trip experts

Jeremy Yudkin

Dr. Jeremy Yudkin is professor of music at Boston University, an associated faculty member of the Department of African American Studies, and visiting professor of music at Oxford University and Harvard University. Dr. Yudkin received his B.A. and M.A. from Cambridge University in classics and modern languages and his Ph.D. in historical musicology from Stanford University. He is the author of six books, and has written articles for journals including The Musical Quarterly, The Stanford Italian Review, The American Journal of Philology and others. Dr. Yudkin’s principal fields of research include medieval music, early Beethoven, popular music, and jazz.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Jeremy Yudkin View biography

Dr. Jeremy Yudkin is professor of music at Boston University, an associated faculty member of the Department of African American Studies, and visiting professor of music at Oxford University and Harvard University. Dr. Yudkin received his B.A. and M.A. from Cambridge University in classics and modern languages and his Ph.D. in historical musicology from Stanford University. He is the author of six books, and has written articles for journals including The Musical Quarterly, The Stanford Italian Review, The American Journal of Philology and others. Dr. Yudkin’s principal fields of research include medieval music, early Beethoven, popular music, and jazz.

Gayle Felix View biography

Gayle Felix has been a Road Scholar group leader since 2015. She grew up and raised her family outside of Boston and now resides in Hingham, Massachusetts. With a history/American studies degree from Boston University, she enjoys sharing the history of Boston and surrounding areas. Gayle has led programs in New England; Washington, DC; and other areas in the United States. Gayle enjoys being with her family and friends, biking, kayaking, golfing, and hiking. She especially enjoys traveling and meeting new people.

Katherine White View biography

Katherine White has been a Road Scholar staff member since August 2022. She earned her bachelor's degree in art and criminal justice from Brevard College in 2020. After college, Katherine went on to complete a travel agent training program from Kennesaw State University. Katherine grew up in North Carolina but currently lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. She has had a passion for traveling from a young age and took her first international trip in 2016. She enjoys taking photographs, hiking, playing sports, and traveling.

Suggested Reading List (10 books)

Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop

You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.

Search for a Title

Tanglewood: Meet the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Its Summer Home

Program Number: 15533

Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa

by Haruki Murakami

In Absolutely on Music, internationally Haruki Murakami sits down with his friend Seiji Ozawa, the revered former conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for a series of conversations on their shared passion: music. Over the course of two years, Murakami and Ozawa discuss everything from Brahms to Beethoven, from Leonard Bernstein to Glenn Gould, from Bartók to Mahler, and from pop-up orchestras to opera. They listen to and dissect recordings of some of their favorite performances, and Murakami questions Ozawa about his career conducting orchestras around the world.

Puccini Without Excuses: A Refreshing Reassessment of the World's Most Popular Composer

by William Berger

In this witty and informative guide for beginners and fans alike, William Berger sets the record straight, reclaiming Puccini as a serious artist. Combining his trademark irreverent humor with passionate enthusiasm, Berger strikes just the right balance of introductory information and thought-provoking analysis. He includes a biography, discussions of each opera, a glossary, fun facts and anecdotes, and above all keen insight into Puccini’s enduring power. For anyone who loves Puccini and for anyone who just wonders what all the fuss is about, Puccini Without Excuses is funny, challenging, and always a pleasure to read.

Greylock

by Paula Cappa

ianist Alexei Georg harbors a dark secret. He is haunted by a creature of darkness that relentlessly pursues him from Boston to Russia to Mt. Greylock. Whenever Alexei performs an old Russian sonata, a menacing presence appears in the audience, in the aisle, and on the stage with him. Is there a ghost inside Alexei's music?

The Film Music of John Williams: Reviving Hollywood's Classical Style

by Emilio Audissino

Audissino discusses Williams’s unique approach to writing by examining his neoclassical style in context, demonstrating how he revived and revised classical Hollywood music. This volume details Williams’s lasting impact on the industry and cements his legacy as one of the most important composers in movie history. A must for fans and film-music lovers alike.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

by Boston Symphony Orchestra

This captivating book provides an in-depth look at the history and musical legacy of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The author chronicles key milestones, from the founding of the orchestra in 1881 to its current position as one of the world's most renowned ensembles. Filled with engaging anecdotes and insights from current and former members of the orchestra, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves classical music.

An American Dream, Realized: From the Tenements of New York City to the Eastman School of Music to the Boston Symphony Orchestra

by Henry Schofield Freeman

An inspiring love story and vivid portrait of early 20th-century life, this biography follows Henry Freeman from New York’s tenements to principal bass of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, driven by passion, perseverance, and the support of his wife, Florence. Together, they overcame hardship to build a life devoted to music.

Cooking with Music: Celebrating the Tastes and Traditions of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

by Boston Symphony Orchestra

Cooking with Music combines favorite recipes of the Boston Symphony Orchestra family and guests, along with historical information about Symphony Hall and the various enterprises of the organization. Recipes vary from quick and easy to slightly complex in a wide variety of types--New England, Southern, International and many more. The concluding section, Tanglewood, presents its recipes in a picnic format, a favorite activity at the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

The Lives of the Great Composers

by Harold Schonberg

Music, the author contends, is a continually evolving art, and all geniuses, unique as they are, were influenced by their predecessors. Schonberg discusses the lives and works of the foremost figures in classical music, among them Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, the Schumanns, Copland, and Stravinsky, weaving a fabric rich in detail and anecdote. He also includes the creators of light music, such as Gilbert and Sullivan and the Strausses.

Miles Davis, Miles Smiles, and the Invention of Post Bop

by Jeremy Yudkin

Focusing on one of the legendary musicians in jazz, this book examines Miles Davis's often overlooked music of the mid-1960s with a close examination of the evolution of a new style: post bop. Jeremy Yudkin traces Davis's life and work during a period when the trumpeter was struggling with personal and musical challenges only to emerge once again as the artistic leader of his generation.

Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life

by Sutton Foster

From the 2-time Tony Award-winner and the star of TV’s Younger, funny and intimate stories and reflections about how crafting has kept her sane while navigating the highs and lows of family, love, and show business (and how it can help you, too).

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