Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival Announces Programming

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is announcing program details of its Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival, an unprecedented array of free and paid online video and audio streams, including newly created content by many of today's most prominent performing artists to be recorded at Tanglewood and other locations around the world from June 22 through July 11.

Inspired in part by the programming and guest artists of the originally announced 2020 Tanglewood season, this digital content-which will also include previously recorded material being released for the first time-is being offered in response to continuing concerns over the spread of COVID-19 and official crowd restriction policies that have necessitated the cancellation of the festival's live performance series. Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival, which will also capture the beauty, inspiration, and spirit of the Tanglewood grounds, will be available starting on July 1 at www.tanglewood.org.

"The essence of our Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival is a broad spectrum of new, bespoke material which is to be recorded in the coming weeks, never-before-seen/heard retrospective content, and the spoken-word programs of the Tanglewood Learning Institute," says BSO Artistic Administrator and Director of Tanglewood Anthony Fogg. "Since the objective was to maintain as many aspects of the planned in-person 2020 festival as possible, many of the artists featured are those who were to have played at Tanglewood this summer. We're also releasing certain performances at the same times as they would have been heard live, with complete online recordings of BSO concerts taking place Sunday afternoons at 2:30 p.m., as an example of such scheduling. We are committed to connecting with our audiences at the times they might typically visit Tanglewood, whether for concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, performances with the Tanglewood Music Center Fellows, or programs with the Tanglewood Learning Institute. It is our hope that this wide variety of online offerings will inspire and sustain our loyal audiences and welcome new people locally and globally during this period of hiatus from live performances and until we are all together again in summer 2021."

In addition to the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival free-of-charge offerings, other online programs ranging in price from $5 to $12 for a single stream, to $15 to $90 for multiple stream packages, are available for purchase via www.tanglewood.org, beginning today, June 15.

Each spring, Tanglewood has traditionally been the setting for local high school graduation ceremonies, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Festival was not able to host these important events this year. As a gesture of acknowledgment of the accomplishments of the Class of 2020, Tanglewood will honor Berkshire region high school graduates with a special project that will take place on scrims placed on the panels enclosing the Koussevitzky Music Shed this summer. The scrim panels will list the names of each 2020 Berkshire County high school graduate - 1,072 students from 12 public high schools throughout the region. The printed panels will also include a "selfie spot" for graduates and their families with a life-size image of the Shed stage where, for decades, Berkshire graduates have received their diplomas. The Shed scrim panels will also feature original artwork by local artists.

Lead underwriter for this project is Pittsfield-based Mill Town Capital with additional support from Sponsors: Berkshire United Way and Greylock Federal Credit Union, and Supporters: Lee Bank, The Pittsfield Cooperative Bank, and Price Chopper. The businesses will also provide inspirational quotes on the panels for the graduating seniors.

Tanglewood Virtual Gala in Celebration of the Centennial of Legendary American Violinist Isaac Stern to take place Thursday, July 23, at 8 p.m., Free to Those Who Register at www.tanglewood.org

Tanglewood will present a virtual gala on Thursday, July 23 at 8 PM in celebration of the centennial of legendary American violinist Isaac Stern, one of the most prominent artists of the 20th century. Stern's long relationship with the BSO began in January 1948 with his debut at Symphony Hall and at Tanglewood the following summer. He continued to perform regularly at Symphony Hall and Tanglewood for nearly 50 years. Artists from around the world and musicians who had a long association with Isaac Stern will join us to celebrate this legendary artist through spoken word, musical performances, and archival footage.

2020 Tanglewood Family Fun Fest Goes Digital on August 7, starting at noon EDT, at www.tanglewood.org

Tanglewood's annual Family Fun Fest tradition of free performances and family-friendly activities presented by cultural organizations throughout Berkshire County continues in a virtual format this year on Friday, August 7, at noon, at www.tanglewood.org.; Family Fun Fest content will be available online for a week following the event. An interactive map of the Tanglewood campus will invite attendees to "visit" different stations to enjoy video performances, how-to craft activities, cooking demonstrations, and more. Advance registration for the Family Fun Fest digital offering-available at www.tanglewood.org-is recommended.

BSO Board Members and Friends to Match Contributions Made to the BSO, May 15- August 31, in Support of Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival
Several generous BSO Board members and friends have joined together in these unprecedented times to match contributions made to the Boston Symphony Orchestra from May 15 through August 31, 2020. The matched funds apply to new annual contributions and ticket donations, both of which are tax-deductible. The matched funds enable the BSO-the non-profit organization that owns and operates Tanglewood-to share the joy of music online through the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival and other virtual programming, and to ensure that the BSO and Tanglewood are ready and able to welcome concertgoers in person when the time is right. Donors of $100 or more will receive complimentary access to all programs in the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival. Those who want to make a gift and have it matched can visit tanglewood.org/givetoday. Gifts of all sizes are vital and appreciated. For more information, please email customerservice@bso.org or call 888-266-1200.

Tanglewood Welcomes Visitors to the Grounds on Saturdays and Sundays, 10-4, and Wednesdays, 9-noon, from July 5 to August 23; Pre-Registration Required at www.tanglewood.org as of June 15
The Tanglewood grounds will be open to the public free of charge via the Main Gate, as conditions allow, on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. until noon, from July 5 through August 23; procedures will be in place to help ensure the health and safety of all visitors. Parking accommodations will be available in the West Lot, via the West Gate, with Tanglewood attendants checking registrations and directing visitors to physically distanced parking spaces. There will be a limit to the number of cars admitted to the grounds each day, as there will be a cap of approximately 500 to the number of visitors allowed on the grounds at any one time; each visitor will be asked to limit their time on the grounds to 90 minutes so that Tanglewood can accommodate as many visit requests as possible. Walk-up visitors, who must also register online, will only be accommodated if their entrance does not result in exceeding the maximum capacity of people on the grounds at any given time. Accessible parking (but no services such as wheelchair escorts and jitney rides) will be available for registered visitors with mobility impairments. No street parking is permitted by local ordinance and tailgating is prohibited.

Visitors must first register at www.tanglewood.org to sign up for a dedicated time for their visit and to view other pertinent grounds access information; registration will begin on June 15. Once on campus, Tanglewood staff will be on duty at the Main Gate to confirm registrations, after which visitors will be able to stroll the Tanglewood grounds and sit on blankets or lawn chairs to enjoy the many iconic vistas while maintaining physical distancing from other parties on campus. All visitors and staff are required to wear a mask on the Tanglewood campus.

For public health and safety reasons, no food, beverages (except water in clear containers), or coolers will be permitted on campus, and public restrooms will remain closed. For cost-saving reasons, all buildings and performance structures on the Tanglewood grounds, including the Koussevitzky Music Shed, will also remain closed. Though the grounds will be maintained throughout the summer, these efforts will be understandably scaled back, reflecting the hiatus status of the 2020 Tanglewood season.

The 2020 Tanglewood grounds policies are subject to change, pending any new recommendations from the CDC or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

2020 Tanglewood ticket donations/exchanges/refunds
In addition to the Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival free-of-charge offerings, additional online programs ranging in price from $5 to $12 for a single stream, to $15 to $80 for multiple stream packages, are available for purchase via www.tanglewood.org. Advance purchases of digital offerings will be available as of today, Monday, June 15.

Due to the financial impact of concert cancellations, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is asking Tanglewood patrons, whenever possible, to consider donating their tickets back to the organization to receive a tax receipt for the total ticket value contributed. Beginning immediately, ticketholders who donate more than $100 worth of tickets will receive complimentary access to the complete selection of paid and archival Tanglewood digital content, as will existing Friends and Society members. Should ticketholders decide not to donate their tickets, the Boston Symphony is also offering a credit towards Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival digital offerings, or towards a future BSO, Pops or Tanglewood performance. Refunds for the value of the tickets purchased may also be requested.

To donate, exchange, or request a refund, Tanglewood patrons can contact the BSO's Customer Service Department at customerservice@bso.org or by calling 617-266-1200. The Customer Service Department is happy to answer any questions patrons might have about ticket donations, exchanges, or refunds, as well as any inquiries they might have about concert cancellations. Symphony Charge, the BSO's ticketing sales office, will remain open during this period of concert cancellations and can be reached at 617-266-1200. The Symphony Hall and Tanglewood box offices are currently closed for in-person business.po

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