It’s now been five years since the COVID-19 outbreak silenced the lush lawns and historic halls of the sprawling Tanglewood campus in 2020. The venue is both a source of local pride for the luminaries it attracts to perform as well as a vital component of the region’s tourism industry. Per a 2018 study, Tanglewood contributes over $100 million to the Berkshire economy. Since a partial return in 2021 and a full schedule in 2022, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra is settling back into the groove it’s kept since 1937.
“I think we're in a very good place, probably comparable to where we were before the pandemic, but bigger and different in other ways," said Tony Fogg, Vice President of Artistic Planning for the BSO and Tanglewood. “Sales are very strong for this year, the schedule is as jam packed as it's ever been. There's something happening practically every hour of the day here at Tanglewood. If it's not a public performance or lecture or masterclass, it's a rehearsal, and it's great to feel the energy of this place back in in high gear again.”
2025 presents its own set of unique challenges. Fogg says the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies have added new hurdles for the BSO to clear as it assembles its bill of artists for the Tanglewood season.
“Immigration requirements for foreign artists have become somewhat more burdensome than they were in years past, and the lead time that's required to, for instance, secure work visas for artists coming from abroad is now longer," he explained to WAMC. "So, we have to make sure that we plan well enough in advance to be able to bring those great artists into the country. And certainly, we have a number of students in the Tanglewood Music Center program who come from abroad, and there were some challenges with bringing them into the country, a bit more scrutiny than usual, but we are part of one musical world, and we are thrilled, we live with our united belief in the great art form that we all support.”
While the Tanglewood season is already well underway – including performances by rap legend Nas, jazz musician Jon Batiste, and comedian John Mulaney – this weekend marks the beginning of the BSO’s summer stint.
“Our music director Andris Nelsons is back with us for two one-composer programs this weekend," Fogg continued. "On Saturday evening, we have an all-Rachmaninoff program with the great Third Piano Concerto with the pianist Daniil Trifonov and Rachmaninoff’s 'Symphonic Dancers,' his last completed orchestral work. And then on Sunday, what a great thing for a Sunday afternoon, an all-Beethoven program, the Fifth Symphony, no less, and the Third Piano Concerto with pianist Yefim Bronfman.”
Things take a Shakespearian turn the following weekend on July 11th.
“it's a beautiful program that we're putting together with the theater director Bill Barclay, and this will be a presentation of Romeo and Juliet with actors and the music by Prokofiev, from the great Prokofiev ballet school," said Fogg. "And we have about six actors who will be between the movements acting out parts of the text of Romeo and Juliet, some of the key moments of the drama.”
Fogg described Tanglewood’s 2025 season as eclectic, offering something for everyone.
“We're having a screening of 'The Return of the Jedi' with live orchestra, a wonderful evening with two Broadway divas, Kelli O'Hara and Sutton Foster, that'll be a terrific night," he told WAMC. "And in the very last weekend, we're celebrating Keith Lockhart's 30th year as conductor of the Boston Pops with a really, really special evening on the 22nd of August, where many of the artists who Keith has collaborated with over the years will be with us, a great, great celebration of Keith's tremendous artistry and his achievements as 30 years as conductor of the Boston Pops.”
Tanglewood’s summer season continues through the end of August.
Tonight and Friday will see thousands flock to the venue for singer-songwriter James Taylor’s annual concerts around the 4th of July holiday.
