The 2008 Tanglewood season will begin with performances by:
- Mark Morris Dance Group on June 26 and 27,
- a live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor on June 28,
- two concerts by James Taylor on July 3 and 4.
On June 30, Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director James Levine will lead the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra in its first concert of the season, conducting Dvorák’s Symphony No. 8.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood season opens with weekend performances of Berlioz’s Les Troyens under the direction James Levine on July 5 and 6, 2008.
On June 26 and 27 at 8 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall, the Mark Morris Dance Group will perform a program featuring the world premiere of a new work, Excursions, choreographed to a Barber piano piece of the same name. Music of Brahms and Schubert will also be featured on the program. Vocal and piano fellows from the Tanglewood Music Center will be featured along with dancers of MMDG, marking the fifth year of collaboration between the two groups. In addition to the performances, these TMC fellows will have the opportunity to work with members from the company on learning dances from the repertoire being performed; similarly, the dancers will study some of the music being played in the performances under the tutelage of TMC Fellows. Mark Morris, who will supervise most of the musical preparation for the performances, will also hold special classes for other TMC musicians, including the percussion and composition departments.
On, June 28 at 5:45 p.m., Garrison Keillor will host a live broadcast of American Public Media’s A Prairie Home Companion from the Koussevitzky Music Shed. The annual event has become the radio program’s season finale and a Tanglewood tradition since Prairie Home was first broadcast live from the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home in 1998. The Prairie Home broadcast is sponsored by Select Comfort and General Mills, Inc.
On June 29 at 2:30 p.m. in Seiji Ozawa Hall, the Boston Symphony Chamber Players will be joined by guest pianist Menahem Pressler for performances of Mozart’s Quintet for piano and winds and Dvorák’s Piano Quintet No. 2. Harbison’s Wind Quintet opens the program.
On July 3 and 4 at 7 p.m., Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter James Taylor performs with his band for two sold-out Shed performances. The Tanglewood grounds open at 4 p.m., and each concert is followed by fireworks over the Stockbridge Bowl.