The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced an 11-week 2009 summer season, longer than in past years, and featuring Lenox native James Taylor four successive nights. Highlights also include two opera programs conducted by James Levine, two Mark Morris dance premieres, three birthday celebrations and the return of Michael Tilson Thomas, after a 20-year absence.
And keeping with recent tradition, the BSO season will be proceeded by Garrison Keillor’s “Prairie Home Companion” and ended with the Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival. IMPORTANTLY, all ticket prices are being frozen at last season’s rates ($18 for lawn seats and up to $99 for the Shed)….and free lawn tickets for children are being extended from age 12 up through age 17. As the parents of twin 15-year-old boys, we are personally excited about that.
Public ticket sale begins February 15th, but most of you know that early purchases are available by being a “Friend of Tanglewood” at various donation levels. Even for an annual donation of just $50, it is possible to purchase tickets in advance of the public sale date. To get a brochure mailed, call 617-638-9467, or 617-266-1492. Information about supporting Tanglewood and becoming a “friend” can be found on the website at www.tanglewood.org.
For a detailed listing of the 2009 schedule: CLICK BELOW
But in the interim, some highlights:
June 27 “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor
July 3 BSO Opening Concert: Tchaikovsky Symphony #6 “Pathetique” and Piano Concerto #1 with Yefim Brofman
July 4 Jazz Singer and Pianist Diana Krall
July 11 Wagners “Die Meistersinger von Nurnburg, ” Act III (concert presentation)
July 12 ` Joshua Bell, Bruch Violin Concerto #1
July 15 “Stage Music in the Play of William Shakespeare” with actor F. Murray Abraham and Le Concert des Nations
July 18 Boston Pops Film Night with John Williams: The Warner Brothers Legacy
July 25 Brahms “A German Requiem,” James Levine conducting
July 26 Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” (fully staged)
July 28 Tanglewood on Parade
Aug 5,6 Mark Morris Dance Group with Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma
Aug 7 Boston Pops with Keith Lockhard, trumpeteer Chris Botti
Aug 7-11 Festival of Contemporary Music
Aug 9 Yo-Yo Ma, cello, Shostakovish Cello Concerto #1
Aug 14 Shostakovitch Symphony #1 and Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #3, Yefin Brafman, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting
Aug 19 Michael Tison Thomas presents “The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater”
Aug 23 Beethoven Symphony #9 with Michael Tilson Thomas
Aug 27-30 James Taylor
Sept 4-6 Tanglewood Jazz Festival
Hampton Terrace, the top-rated Lenox inn based on Trip Advisor reviews, has been hosting Tanglewood patrons since 1937…the very year that Tanglewood became the summer home of the Boston Symphony. We are located one mile from the Tanglewood gate and less than two blocks from all Lenox restaurants and shops. More than 50% of our summer guests are repeat, so if you are considering a stay with us, please contact us early. For the 2007 and 2008 summers, we held our rates level, and plan to offer the same rates for the 2009 summer until February, 2009. At that point, we will implement a 5% across the board increase, so we encourage our existing guests…and those of you who want to give us a try, to contact us as soon as you have chosen a weekend.
We will continue to offer our popular mid-week special, which brings a multiple-night stay down to $190/night, a 30% discount.