By Dave Read, Lenox, MA, August 16, 2023 event – Sumptuous treats are available in the Berkshires, home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home and training academy. Besides being a world-class venue for musical performance, Tanglewood also hosts one of the most respected music academies in the world, the Tanglewood Music Center.
Founded in 1940 by Russian emigre Serge Koussevitsky, on 110 acres given to the BSO, Tanglewood was expanded in the 1980s by the gift of an adjacent 40 acres, where Seiji Ozawa Hall was opened in 1996, and the Tanglewood Learning Institute, in 2019.
“If you don’t evolve, you expire” said former BSO CEO Mark Volpe at the dedication of the TLI, which now affords the public the very rare and very enlightening opportunity to witness the final stage in the parturition of brilliant musicians.
Which calls to mind one of the best corny jokes: “Q How do you get to Carnegie Hall? A. Practice, practice, practice.”
If only it were that simple! As the scores of enthusiasts drawn to today’s violin workshop in the TLI’s stunning Linde Center learned, anyone determined to perform on the world’s most prestigious stages, must be prepared to hear great quantities of, “Ok Ok no no wait wait do it again do it again.” Practice is one thing, expert instruction a whole ‘nuther thing, friends.
Anybody interested in playing at Carnegie Hall – or at Tanglewood, needs not only to practice their instrument, but also to earn an invitation to be bossed around by generous experts, such as we observed today. Tai Murray, with music diplomas from the School of Music at Indiana University and Julliard, also is on the faculty at the Yale School of Music. She appears to be that rare sort of person, who is able to perform at a high level of excellence while also being able to help others maximize their own artistic potential.
Dominick Kossakowski, who last year received a doctorate from the Karol Szymawoski Academy of Music in Katowice, Poland, was in the role of tutee in today’s highly entertaining tutor-tutee duet. Would that more of the general population shared the dedication to excellence and devotion to education embodied by these violin workshoppers – not only would the world sound better, it would be better, too!
Four days later, Mr. Kossakowski was in the first row of violinists as the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 for its magnificent swan song, while also lowering the curtain on the BSO’s 2023 Tanglewood season. (our report)
(Workshop photos by Hilary Scott; first and last photos by Dave Read.)