2015 Tanglewood season schedule highlights

Nov. 13, 2014 Article by Dave Read

The 2015 Tanglewood season, which runs from June 20 through Labor Day weekend, celebrates both the inaugural season of Boston Symphony Orchestra music director Andris Nelsons and the 75th anniversary of the BSO’s summer music academy, the Tanglewood Music center. Highlights on the 2015 Tanglewood schedule are appearances by an exciting list of guest artists, including Yo Yo Ma, Emmanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Bryn Terfel, plus such popular artists as Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Mark Morris Dance Company, Wynton Marsalis and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Diana Krall, A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, Huey Lewis and the News.

Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax each take on the new Tanglewood title of 2015 Koussevitzky Artist, honorary titles reflecting both a multidimensional commitment to the 2015 season and more than 30 years of performing and teaching at Tanglewood. On Aug. 9 they will perform a recital together in the Koussevitzky Music Shed, playing the Complete Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Beethoven.

Maestro Andris Nelsons leads six Tanglewood programs, including Mahler’s Symphony no. 8, “Symphony of a thousand,” with the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Tanglewood Festival Chorus, BUTI chorus, American Boy Choir, and eight vocal soloists in honor of the summer music academy’s 75th anniversary season, Aug. 8; four BSO concerts including Mahler’s Symphony no. 6, Aug. 14; selections from Verdi’s opera Otello, featuring Kristine Opolais as soloist, Aug. 15; two Strauss tone poems, works of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Barber, and programs featuring Christian Tetzlaff, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Renaud CapuÇon, and Gautier CapuÇon; and Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with the combined forces of the BSO and TMCO, as part of Tanglewood on Parade, Aug. 4.
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Additional BSO highlights:

• July 3: all-American opening night with works by Copland and Gershwin;
• July 10: StÉphane DenÈve leads a program featuring organist Cameron Carpenter;
• July 12: special guest appearances by Ludovic Morlot and Pinchas Zukerman;
• July 11, 2015: Act I from Puccini’s Tosca with Bryn Terfel and Sondra Radvanovsky, Bramwell Tovey ditrecting;
• July 17-19, 2015: Mozart and Schumann weekend, with guest artists Christian Zacharias, Sarah Connolly, Baiba Skride, Sir Neville Marriner, and Paul Lewis;
• July 24: Christoph von DohnÁnyi leading all-Beethoven program;
• July 25: Michael Tilson Thomas leading Mahler’s Symphony no. 5;
• July 26: Christoph von DohnÁnyi leading all-Mozart program;
• July 31: Ken-David Masur and Garrick Ohlsson;
• Aug. 9: Charles Dutoit and Joshua Bell;

2015 Tanglewood popular artists and Boston Pops schedule

• June 19 – Sheryl Crow at Tanglewood with the Boston Pops;
• June 20 – Keith Lockhart leads a Stephen Sondheim tribute;
• June 21 – Diana Krall, Wallflower Tour;
• June 27 – A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor, Live Broadcast;
• June 28 – Huey Lewis and the News, “While We’re Young” Tour;
• June 30 – Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, Cheek to Cheek;
• July 4 – James Taylor with His All-Star Band;
• July 6 – Boston Pops brass and percussion featured with famed drum & bugle corps Boston Crusaders and Blue Devils;
• Aug. 4 – Tanglewood on Parade;
• Aug. 21 – Boston Pops program with Cirque de la Symphonie;
• Aug. 22 – John Williams and David Newman lead film night.
• Aug. 29 – Idina Menzel, World Tour.

Tanglewood 2015 schedule special events at Ozawa Hall

June 25 & 26: Mark Morris Dance Group;

July 1: Chamber music performances by the Boston Symphony chamber players;

July 2: Apollo’s Fire;

July 8: recital appearance by Leon Fleisher;

July 9: recital appearance by Bryn Terfel;

July 14: recital appearance by Sarah Connolly; 

July 14: Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra;

July 19: recital appearance by Audra McDonald;

July 21: recital appearance by Paul Lewis;

July 22: Emerson String Quartet;

July 30: The Knights, Falla’s Master Peter’s Puppet Show;

Aug. 5: Matthias Goerne singing Schubert’s Winterreise;

Aug. 6: all-Brahms program with Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Leonidas Kavakos;

Aug. 12: recital appearance by Christian Tetzlaff;

Tanglewood Music Center 75th anniversary season

Tanglewood Music Center celebrates 75th anniversary season with over 30 commissions of new works. On Aug. 8, Andris Nelsons will lead a performance of Mahler’s Symphony no. 8, which also will be offered as a free live webcast at www.tanglewood.org. There also will be free weekly downloads from the 75-year performance history of the Tanglewood Music Center, a TMC 75 archival exhibit in the Tanglewood visitors center, plus commemorative program books with historical narratives and archival photographs tracing the long and storied history of the Tanglewood Music Center.

Tanglewood tickets and 2015 season brochure

Tanglewood brochures with complete programs and information on how to order tickets will be available in early February by calling 617-638-9467. For further information, please call the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 617-266-1492 or visit www.tanglewood.org.

Tanglewood grounds map

Here is a dynamic map of the Tanglewood grounds, with photos and information for such points of interest as Aaron Copland Library, Highwood Manor House, The Glass House, and The Lion’s Gate.

How to get to the Berkshires

Follow this link for Berkshires travel information, including public transportation within Berkshire county and Amtrak and Peter Pan bus schedules.