Archived schedules

The 2023 Tanglewood Popular Artist Series has added a Jackson Browne concert, Aug. 31, 7pm in the Koussevitsky Music Shed. This gig, with his full band, will be his seventh appearance at Tanglewood since 1973. Tickets to Browne’s August 31 show will go on public sale on Thursday, June 1 at 10 a.m.

Tickets for the previously announced Popular Artists concerts and other performances at Tanglewood are already on sale through tanglewood.org.

The 2023 Tanglewood Popular Artists lineup includes: Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! with Special Guest Dorinda Medley on Thursday, June 22; Steve Miller Band with Very Special Guest Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers on Friday, June 23; Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Very Special Guests Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets on Saturday, July 1; Robert Plant and Alison Krauss with Special Guest JD McPherson on Sunday, July 2; James Taylor on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4; and Train with Special Guest Parmalee on Thursday, August 24.

Summer 2023 in the Berkshires will be the 85th season of performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood. But, before the summer party gets underway in the venerable Koussevitsky Music Shed, (BSO) there will be a few spring events in the new Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI), on the rise above Seiji Ozawa Hall: chamber concerts on March 12, April 16, May 14. Following those concerts, there will be weekly programs in the adjacent Studio E throughout the orchestra’s summer residency.

Boston Pops and popular artists at Tanglewood

John Williams, James Taylor, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, and Steve Miller highlight another suummer of variety from the lighter side of the musical spectrum. Boston pops and Popular artist schedule Tanglewood 2023.

As of early February, there are 20 events scheduled at Tanglewood BEFORE the BSO’s grand opening night concert, which will begin with a fanfare for brass and percussion, Herald, Holler, and Hallelujah, composed by Tanglewood Music Center (TMC) alumnus Wynton Marsalis, followed by the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3, with soloist Daniil Trifonov, then Tchaikowsky’s Symphony No. 4.

Follow the link to access complete Tanglewood 2023 schedule details.

Tanglewood tickets go on sale at 10am March 9; access via tanglewood.org or 888-266-1200.

Highlights of Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts July and August in the Shed

• Friday, July 7, 8pm: The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s opening concert of the season begins with Wynton Marsalis’s Herald, Holler, and Hallelujah, followed by Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, with soloist Daniil Trifonov, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, led by Andris Nelsons
• Sunday, July 9, 2:30pm: A world premiere of Iman Habibi’s Zhiân and Jessie Montgomery’s Freedom Songs, featuring vocalist Julia Bullock, make up the first half of this program; Hilary Hahn joins the BSO and Andris Nelsons for Brahms’s Violin Concerto to complete the program
• Saturday, July 15, 8pm: A Nelsons-led BSO concert performance of Mozart’s opera Così fan tutte, with Nicole Cabell and Kate Lindsey in the lead female roles, with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, James Burton conductor, will be sung in Italian with English supertitles
• Sunday, July 16, 2:30pm: The BSO and Andris Nelsons, joined by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and children’s choir, perform Orff’s Carmina burana; the program opens with Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3
• Friday, August 11, 8pm: Anne-Sophie Mutter joins the BSO and Nelsons for John Williams’ Violin Concerto No. 2, on a program with works by Strauss and Ravel
• Sunday, August 13, 2:30pm: Julia Adolphe’s Makeshift Castle opens the program, followed by Yo-Yo Ma performing Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1; the program closes with Stravinsky’s Petrushka (1947 version)
• Friday, August 18, 8pm: Andris Nelsons leads the BSO in Carlos Simon’s Four Black American Dances and Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5, Egyptian, and Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, both with Jean-Yves Thibaudet as soloist
• Saturday, August 19, 8pm: Leonidas Kavakos performs Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto on a program with Prokofiev‘s Symphony No. 5

N.B. Yo-Yo Ma is scheduled for open cello workshops Aug. 10 and 11, 2023 @ 2pm in Ozawa Hall.

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in the Shed

• Monday, July 10, 8pm: Andris Nelsons leads the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in Debussy’s La Mer; TMC Conducting Fellows lead works of Ravel and Stravinsky
• Monday, July 17, 8pm: Andris Nelsons leads the TMCO in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4; TMC Conducting Fellows conduct music of Bacewicz and Kodály

Article updated March 25, 2019 by Dave Read

BREAKING NEWS – NOT FAKE – Brian Wilson’s gig is off – not gonna happen!!!

Tanglewood’s schedule of rock, pop, and jazz concerts for the 2019 season reflects one notable variation from the usual: Tanglewood on Parade moves from its customary first Tuesday in August slot to July 23, perhaps to accommodate music director Andris Nelsons, who will be on campus in July, but not August.

Live From Here with Chris Thile at Tanglewood

• June 15, 2019 @ 5:45 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Brian Wilson Presents Pet Sounds – CANCELED

• June 16, 2019 @ 2:30 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

See review of the 2016 concert: Brian Wilson plays Pet Sounds at Tanglewood

Richard Thompson (Solo Acoustic)

• Friday, June 21 at 8
• Seiji Ozawa Hall

Postmodern Jukebox

• Saturday, June 22 at 8
• Seiji Ozawa Hall

Boston Pops with James Burton, Marc Martel’s Queen tribute

• June 27, 2019 @ 8
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Earth, Wind & Fire

• June 28, 2019 @ 7 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Josh Groban at Tanglewood

• July 2, 2019 @ 7 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

James Taylor

• July 3, 2019 @ 8 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

James Taylor

• July 4, 2019 @ 8 PM – Fireworks after the show
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

See review of the 2018 concert: James Taylor at Tanglewood July 4, 2018

Boston Pops, Across the Stars: Music of John Williams

• July7, 2019 @ 2:30 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Join the Boston Pops for the first of three programs this summer, celebrating the art of John Williams. Drawing from her recent recording “Across the Stars,” Anne-Sophie Mutter performs selections from Mr. Williams’ scores. The program includes music from Star Wars and Memoirs of a Geisha, and Schindler’s List.

Tanglewood on Parade

• July 23, 2019 @ 8 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Boston Symphony Children’s Choir
Andris Nelsons, Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Thomas Wilkins, and James Burton, conductors
Program to include:
WAGNER “The Ride of the Valkyries” from Die Walku?re
James BURTON Lost Words, for children’s choir and orchestra (world premiere)
TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture
Fireworks to follow the concert

Train and Goo Goo Dolls

• August 5, 2019 @ 7 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Boston Pops Orchestra

• August 16, 2019 @ 8 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Boston Pops Orchestra
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Star Wars: A New Hope

Screening of the film with live orchestral accompaniment of the John Williams score.

Boston Pops John Williams’ Film Night

• August 24, 2019 @ 8 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Boston Pops
David Newman, conductor
John Williams, host

Gladys Knight, with The Spinners

• August 28, 2019 @ 7 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Squeeze at Tanglewood

• August 20, 2019 @ 7 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals – Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

• August 31, 2019 @ 7 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Reba McEntire at Tanglewood

• September 1, 2019 @ 3:30 PM
• Koussevitzky Music Shed

Hotels in the Berkshires

Find hotels near Tanglewood with user reviews, check amenities, nearby attractions, availability and then book your room reservations at these lodging establishments through our partner, International Hotel Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of secure online hotel reservations.

2019 Tanglewood schedule

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has released the schedule for the 2019 season at Tanglewood, which will be remembered for the opening of the Tanglewood Learning Institute, the four buildings overlooking Seiji Ozawa Hall on the Leonard Bernstein camopus.

Music director Andris Nelsons will be present for the month of July, conducting 13 programs, including the world premiere of a new work by Kevin Puts, The Brightness of Light, based on letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz on July 20, and a concert performance of Wagner’s complete Die Walküre on july 27 and 28. Details of programs in the Tanglewood Learning Institute will be announced on Feb. 7, 2019.

Article updated April 25, 2019 by Dave Read

More additions to the Popular Artists portion of the 2019 Tanglewood schedule:

The Boston Pops, with James Burton of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus in Keith Lockhart’s role, will do a Queen tribute show with Freddie Mercury impersonator Marc Martel on Thursday, June 27 at 8 in the Shed.

The Youtube sensation Postmodern Jukebox, a “rotating musical collective,” will perform Saturday, June 22 at 8 in Ozawa Hall.

Josh Groban, Gladys Night, and Reba McEntire added to Tanglewood schedule

Josh Groban will return to Tanglewood’s Koussevitzky Music Shed on Tuesday, July 2, at 7. On Wednesday, August 28, at 7, Gladys Knight will make her Tanglewood debut; Reba McEntire will close out the 2019 Tanglewood season on Sunday, September 1, at 2 in the Shed.

Hotels in the Berkshires

Find hotels near Tanglewood with user reviews, check amenities, nearby attractions, availability and then book your room reservations at these lodging establishments through our partner, International Hotel Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of secure online hotel reservations.

2019 Tanglewood schedule

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has released the schedule for the 2019 season at Tanglewood, which will be remembered for the opening of the Tanglewood Learning Institute, the four buildings overlooking Seiji Ozawa Hall on the Leonard Bernstein camopus.

Music director Andris Nelsons will be present for the month of July, conducting 13 programs, including the world premiere of a new work by Kevin Puts, The Brightness of Light, based on letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz on July 20, and a concert performance of Wagner’s complete Die Walküre on july 27 and 28. Details of programs in the Tanglewood Learning Institute will be announced on Feb. 7, 2019.

Article updated Feb. 6, 2019 by Dave Read

Tanglewood Learning Institute programs will explore the ways in which music illuminates the human experience by linking Tanglewood performances to relevant themes from the worlds of visual arts, film, history, philosophy, and current events, and offering experiences that dissolve the traditional barrier between performer and audience. TLI’s immersion weekends, interactive talks, films, open rehearsals, master classes, unconventional performances, and visual arts programs will use music as a point of departure and a gateway leading to spirited dialogue, designed for all who aspire to expand their horizons and connect with other curious knowledge-seekers.

THE BIG IDEA: Some of the World’s Great Thinkers Help Illuminate the Enduring Vitality of Music

The Big Idea features dynamic thinkers and luminaries in compelling presentations on a diverse array of subjects and perspectives, contextualizing themes of Tanglewood’s concert repertoire. Presenters in 2019 will include Madeleine K. Albright, Secretary of State (1997–2001) and one of the most celebrated diplomats of our era; Doris Kearns Goodwin, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian; and Daniel L. Shapiro, world-renowned expert on negotiation and conflict resolution, founding director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, and best-selling author of Negotiating the Nonnegotiable. For Ms. Albright’s appearance, TLI invites participants to explore the idea of nation-building in the 21st century, inspired by Giuseppe Verdi’s contributions to the political unification of Italy in the mid-19th century and tied to the BSO’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem on July 13, led by Music Director Andris Nelsons. July 27 and 28’s concert performances of Wagner’s Die Walküre, with its multigenerational saga of power and love, serves as an intriguing backdrop for Goodwin’s discussion of leadership in America. Daniel Shapiro’s talk, which examines the complexities of freedom, peace, and shared humanity in the 21st century, coincides with August 24’s BSO performances of Schoenberg’s Friede auf Erden (Peace on Earth) and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (“Ode to Joy”).

• Madeleine K. Albright – July 6, 5pm, Ozawa Hall – in re: July 13, Verdi’s Requiem
• Doris Kearns Goodwin – July 27, 5pm, Ozawa Hall – in re: July 27 & 28, Wagner’s Die Walküre
• Daniel Shapiro – August 24, 5pm, Ozawa Hall; in re: August 25, Schoenberg’s Friede auf Erden and Beethoven’s Ninth.

TLI OPENSTUDIO: Open Master Classes with Andris Nelsons, Renée Fleming, Leonidas Kavakos, Stefan Asbury and Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Gautier Capuçon, and Yo-Yo Ma

Led by world-renowned musicians, TLI OpenStudio master classes provide the rare opportunity to witness up close the Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center—all emerging artists of the highest caliber—fine-tune their interpretive skills and explore nuances of the classical repertoire. TLI participants will have front-row seats to master classes with Andris Nelsons, Renée Fleming, Leonidas Kavakos, Stefan Asbury and Emanuel Ax, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Gautier Capuçon, and Yo-Yo Ma and experience the unique dynamic between teacher and student and the myriad ways in which they challenge, influence, and inspire each other. Most of the TLI OpenStudio presentations will take place in Ozawa Hall, except for the one led by Maestro Nelsons, which will occur in Studio E of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

• Conducting Class – ANDRIS NELSONS – July 16, 10am, Linde Center Studio E
• Sonata Class – JEAN-YVES THIBAUDET, GAUTIER CAPUÇON – July 18, 1:30pm, Ozawa Hall
• Vocal Class – RENÉE FLEMING – July 22, 8pm, Ozawa Hall
• Concerto Conducting Class – STEFAN ASBURY, EMANUEL AX, July 30, 10am, Ozawa Hall
• Bach Cello Suites Class – YO-YO MA, July 31, 1:30pm, Ozawa Hall
• Violin Class – LEONIDAS KAVAKOS, August 12, 2pm, Ozawa Hall

FULL TILT: Experimental Interactive Programming by Leading Cutting-Edge Artists

Full Tilt invites participants to indulge their curiosities and experience unconventional, subversive performances that are exhilarating, hypnotizing, and deeply human. Participants will explore a wide array of topics through bold, theatrical productions that include The Black Mozart with Bill Barclay and Concert Theatre Works, a survey of the life and music of Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799), and performance artist Meow Meow’s masterful deconstruction of a traditional cabaret, entitled Pandemonium. The Australian postmodern diva brings her unique brand of “musical mayhem” to Tanglewood in the first of a three-year collaboration with TLI. In addition, on August 4, participants can immerse themselves in a multisensory presentation of musical selections from the John Cage Song Books and film associated with Mr. Cage; the event is curated by soprano Tony Arnold and pianist Stephen Drury and is presented with the Cinematics series.

• Pandemonium – MEOW MEOW, July 9, 8pm, Ozawa Hall
• John Cage Song Books and Film Selections – TMC FELLOWS, August 4, 7pm, Linde Center
• The Black Mozart, Concert Theatre Works – BILL BARCLAY, August 19, 8pm, Linde Center

MEET THE MAKERS: Renowned Creators Discuss Inspiration and Craft in Public Conversations

Meet the Makers features public conversations with some of the world’s most celebrated artists—from composers and playwrights to instrument makers—about the creative process and the inspiration behind their original manuscripts, compositions, and craftsmanship. In 2019, Meet the Makers will feature an array of artists and artisans, including playwright Tom Stoppard, composers André Previn and Joan Tower, Meow Meow, master bow maker Benoît Rolland, piano technician Steve Carver and the Steinway Spirio digital piano-player, and Alan Weiss and Aiven O’Leary from the William S. Haynes Flute Company. The Meet the Makers presentations will take place in Studio E of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

• Benoît Rolland, bow maker – July 5, 4pm
• Meow Meow, postmodern diva – July 9, 1:30pm
• Joan Tower, composer – July 10, 4:30pm
• André Previn, composer and Tom Stoppard, playwright – July 24, 10am
• Stephen H. Carver, piano technician and Steinway Spirio -July 29, 1:30pm
• Aiven O’Leary, flute maker and Alan Weiss, flutist – August 21, 3pm

CINEMATICS: Sunday-Evening Film Showings that Complement Tanglewood’s Concert Programming

In collaboration with the Berkshire International Film Festival, Cinematics encourages participants to explore and celebrate the relationship between music, cinema, and the human spirit with curated films inspired by Tanglewood’s concert programming. For example, a performance of Bach cantatas at Ozawa Hall will be paired with a screening of Tous les Matins du Monde, which explores the life of Bach’s contemporary, the composer Marin Marais. Similarly, a performance of Verdi’s Requiem takes on deeper meaning when followed by Defiant Requiem, an acclaimed documentary about the performance of the piece by Jewish prisoners at Theresienstadt, the Nazi concentration camp. The presentation of the film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse with a score by André Previn is being presented as part of Tanglewood’s celebration of Mr. Previn’s 90th birthday year, along with a BSO performance of his Violin Concerto, Anne-Sophie, with dedicatee Anne-Sophie Mutter as soloist on July 6, and the world premiere of Mr. Previn and Tom Stoppard’s Penelope, featuring soprano Renée Fleming and the Emerson String Quartet, on July 24.

The Cinematics film series will take place on Sundays at 7 p.m. in Studio E of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

• JUNE 30 – Tous les matins du monde
• JULY 7 – The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
• JULY 14 – Defiant Requiem
• JULY 21 – Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters
• JULY 28 – A Tale of Tanglewood: Peter Grimes Reborn
• AUGUST 4 – Cinematics/Full Tilt Special Event: John Cage Film & Song Books Selections
• AUGUST 11 – Babette’s Feast
• AUGUST 18 – Impromptu
• AUGUST 25 – Score: A Film Music Documentary

SHOPTALKS: Major Artists of the Season in Conversation about their Lives in the Arts

ShopTalks are weekly Thursday dialogues where Tanglewood artists “talk shop” about life in the arts, share passions and inspirations, and discuss their visions for the future of the art form with creative colleagues. Through authentic, engaging conversations between artists from a variety of personal and professional backgrounds, one can experience candid insights that contextualize and deepen one’s appreciation of classical music. The series begins with a conversation with bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green, whose journey to the stage is memorialized in Daniel Bergner’s Sing for Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family. Later pairings include BSO clarinetist Thomas Martin with Margo Garrett, a former race car driver who is now a renowned vocal coach and collaborative pianist, and conductor Giancarlo Guerrero with bass Morris Robinson.

ShopTalks take place on Thursdays at 1 p.m. in Studio E of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

FOCAL POINT: Receive Mentorship, Enjoy the Tanglewood Scenery, and Connect with other Amateur Artists

From its vibrantly green lawns and maze-like gardens to its breathtaking views of the Berkshire Hills, the Tanglewood campus has provided visitors with a sumptuous feast for the ears—and the eyes—for nearly a century. Through a collaboration with IS183 Art School of the Berkshires, Focal Point gives amateur artists added opportunities to hone their skills in photography, painting, and drawing using the immense natural beauty of the Tanglewood campus as a backdrop. Starting this Tanglewood season, participants can receive one-on-one mentorship from IS183 Faculty Artists—local professional photographers, painters, and illustrators. Focal Point activities take place on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.; participants will meet at the Martignetti Lobby of the Linde Center of Music and Learning. Further program details for Focal Point are available at www.tli.org.

STRING QUARTET MASTERPASS: A Musical Journey with the Juilliard String Quartet and Tanglewood Music Center String Fellows

The String Quartet MasterPass will take TLI participants on an immersive, highly interactive, eight-day adventure, June 22-30, with the Juilliard String Quartet and Tanglewood Music Center faculty and Fellows that focuses on the beauty, complexity, and collaborative spirit of this extraordinary genre. The String Quartet MasterPass includes full-length chamber music performances, with beloved works from the canon alongside exciting contemporary pieces. Participants will have front-row seats as talented Tanglewood Music Center Fellows prepare, refine, and perform great works from the string quartet repertoire. In addition to attending string quartet rehearsals and performances, TLI participants will enjoy a table talk dinner with fellow string quartet enthusiasts and members of the Juilliard String Quartet, Tanglewood Music Center faculty, and TMC Fellows. The String Quartet MasterPass activities will take place in Ozawa Hall and the Linde Center for Music and Learning’s Studio E and Cindy’s Café. Visit www.tli.org for further program details and specific dates and times for all the String Quartet MasterPass activities.

TLI MASTERPASS: A Monthly Pass Offering a Wide Spectrum of up to 40 Different Activities

TLI MasterPass provides participants with a multi-spectrum insider’s view of the artistic process, allowing them to choose some or all of 40 different behind-the-scenes musical experiences during the summer. Activities include rehearsals with the BSO, TMCO, and The Knights with violinist Gil Shaham; open master classes that range from mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe leading a class on American Popular Music to pianist Paul Lewis teaching a class on Haydn; and thought-provoking music appreciation talks, such as Avner Dorman discussing his new double concerto for violin and cello, insights about the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra’s fusion of traditional and contemporary music, and a pre-concert introduction to Penelope, a new work for soprano, string quartet, and piano by André Previn and Tom Stoppard, written especially for Renée Fleming and the Emerson String Quartet. Most of the TLI MasterPass activities will take place in the Shed and Studio E of the Linde Center for Music and Learning.

2019 Tanglewood schedule

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has released the schedule for the 2019 season at Tanglewood, which will be remembered for the opening of the Tanglewood Learning Institute, the four buildings overlooking Seiji Ozawa Hall on the Leonard Bernstein camopus.

Music director Andris Nelsons will be present for the month of July, conducting 13 programs, including the world premiere of a new work by Kevin Puts, The Brightness of Light, based on letters of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz on July 20, and a concert performance of Wagner’s complete Die Walküre on july 27 and 28. Details of programs in the Tanglewood Learning Institute will be announced on Feb. 7, 2019.

Hotels in the Berkshires

Find hotels near Tanglewood with user reviews, check amenities, nearby attractions, availability and then book your room reservations at these lodging establishments through our partner, International Hotel Solutions (IHS), the leading provider of secure online hotel reservations.