Tanglewood: Meet the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Its Summer Home

Program Registration: 3:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any up-updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Your program materials will be sent to you a few days before the program, digitally, through your roadscholar.org account. This includes your program itinerary, any related handouts, and restaurant/free time suggestions. Please plan to print them out and bring along to the program, utilize the hotel's business center to access them, or view them on your own personal electronic device. Orientation: 5:15 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Knowledgeable group leaders, along with local experts, will provide educational content during your program. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private bus. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please be aware that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the full day ahead.

At the hotel.

We'll take a ride by motor coach to the Norman Rockwell Museum. The museum is home to the world's largest collection of original Rockwell art. The American painter and illustrator is best known for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine for over nearly five decades. We will receive a docent-led studio tour and also have time for self-exploration. We then head to Tanglewood, one of the homes of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which was built in the late 1930s. It is located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts and hosts an annual music series showcasing major talents. We will examine its history in a presentation by a BSO administrator.

At the Formal Gardens tent on the Tanglewood campus, we’ll have boxed lunches.

One of the highlights of this program is the opportunity to meet and hear from BSO musicians and administrators. This afternoon we will enjoy two presentations by some of the players and staff.

At the hotel.

We will have our first BSO performance of the program in the Shed. We suggest bringing warm clothing as it can get cold at night in the Berkshires. Performance: TBD

At the hotel.

At the hotel, we’ll be joined by Professor Jeremy Yudkin, chairperson of Boston University’s Musicology Department, for a presentation on topics related to our program

At the hotel.

Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. We also will provide transportation for an elective field trip to Hancock Shaker Village. Participants will be responsible for this entrance fee. To expedite the entrance process, please bring $15 cash if you plan to attend. You may also pay with credit card there. The village contains twenty historic buildings and daily talks and demonstrations of music, woodworking, and more. We will regroup in the late afternoon at the hotel and depart to Tanglewood for a session with a BSO musician or administrator.

At Tanglewood.

We will enjoy another BSO performance in the Shed. We suggest bringing warm clothing as it can get cold at night in the Berkshires. Performance: TBD.

At the hotel.

We will attend a Tanglewood Music Center (TMC) chamber music concert at Seiji Ozawa Hall performed by TMC Fellows. The Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship Program is the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer academy for advanced musical study. This program offers an intensive schedule of study and performance for emerging professional instrumentalists, singers, conductors, and composers who have completed most of their formal study.

At Tanglewood, we’ll have boxed lunches.

We’ll hear a presentation by a BSO musician or administrator prior to attending our last concert of the program in the Shed. Performance: TBD.

Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel.

This concludes our program. If you have elected to take the Road Scholar shuttle, it will leave promptly at 9:00 a.m. The drive will be 2.5-3 hours, depending on traffic. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!