BSO plans to build out Tanglewood Music Center
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced new plans that will change the look of the Tanglewood grounds, including its first new structures since Ozawa Hall was erected in 1994.
At the heart of the new initiative will be a new four-building structure that will sit at the top of the lawn leading down to Ozawa Hall. The largest of the buildings will accommodate rehearsal and performance space for the musicians and Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center, with concert seating for up to 200 audience members. The smaller buildings will also accommodate multi-media educational and lecture programs as well as social and dining events.
The buildings will be designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, the same firm that designed Ozawa Hall. Reed Hilderbrand will serve as landscape architects for the project.
In total, the buildings will cost $30 million. Funding will come from a multi-year fundraising effort as well as a special endowment for BSO concert activities and other Tanglewood programming.
The fundraising effort will also support improvements to the Ozawa Hall Bernstein Gate, the creation of a new entranceway to the Ozawa Hall complex, as well as upgrades to the restroom facilities and food service amenities. In addition, the BSO will spearhead a new horticultural plan for Tanglewood’s 542-acre grounds, which will include the redesign and revitalization of the landscape.
Groundbreaking for the new buildings will take place at the end of summer 2017. The buildings, which will be climate controlled and available for use by the Berkshire Community in the off-season, will open in the summer of 2019.
The initiative will also include the creation of a the Tanglewood Learning Institute, an educational and enrichment program for Tanglewood patrons that will include lecture demonstrations and meetings with performing musicians in the summer season.
The new buildings and initiatives promise to be additions to Tanglewood’s rich history of performance and education.
“My first experience at Tanglewood in the summer of 2012 marked the beginning of a deep appreciation for the many exceptional qualities of Tanglewood that make it an absolutely unique experience in the world of summer music festivals,” said BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons in a statement. “The great BSO Music Director Serge Koussevitzky had tremendous foresight in recognizing the potential of Tanglewood as a beacon of inspiration for all those visiting and experiencing its many gifts, so our investment in its future is essential as we continue to expand Tanglewood’s many wonderful offerings.
“Tanglewood’s new building project will provide the best possible atmosphere for the talented Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center to learn and grow on their path to becoming the next generation of musicians, earning their spots in the world’s great orchestras, concert halls, and opera houses. The new Tanglewood Learning Institute starts a new chapter in the orchestra’s remarkable history by connecting our audience to our music-making in new ways and expanding Tanglewood’s reach by welcoming new visitors experiencing the festival’s profound and extraordinary musical gifts.
“I am truly grateful to our incredibly important patrons, whose tremendous support and belief in all possibilities for the festival inspires us all each day of our work with the BSO. I so look forward to playing my part in that future together with the brilliant TMC and BSO musicians – where we can embrace the wonderful changes while always relishing Tanglewood’s great legacy.”
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Posted Mar 03, 2017 at 1:12 pm by Lewis Clark
The plans sound exciting, albeit ambitious. Personally, I would hope that the changes will truly enhance, not degrade, the magic of the site. As an enthusiastic contributor to the creation of Ozawa Hall more than 20 years ago, I know that the BSO and Tanglewood must grow and improve, to meet contemporary expectations, while still providing a welcoming atmosphere to a broad spectrum of visitors & music lovers.