Quarter Notes

You may recall the famous quote by Charles Dickens – “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Over the past almost two years since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic, it must have felt like that to many of us. We were in the midst of dealing with mask-wearing and social distancing, in addition to the major shutdown of most cultural activities, Tanglewood being the one very close to our hearts. We were challenged to come up with new ways to keep our minds and bodies busy and to find alternative methods of still enjoying and partaking in these activities, most notably through the use of Zoom and streaming technology. For the BSO, like other similar institutions, this was a major challenge. It was also one that showed how creative and forward-looking this organization is. Through 2020 and 2021, the BSO brought music back to us in many ways, most notably this past summer for the six weeks when the orchestra was live at Tanglewood.

With a constant focus on following accepted pandemic guidelines, Tanglewood saw changes to its entry rules, grounds and facilities, use of buildings, and, of course, our volunteers. Some things that were instituted this past summer have or will become permanent, while others will not. Some are yet to be decided.

Volunteers

Temporary changes include a relaxed rule about the number of hours a volunteer needed to work. With only four active projects, some volunteers took on new roles and will add these to their repertoire. Project training was mostly done virtually, which may become the norm on most or all future projects. A standard dress code, including shirts and slacks colors, was introduced and will now become a standard of volunteer dress The introduction of weekly coffee hours during BSO concert performance weeks was well-received and will resume in some fashion in coming seasons.

Concert Venues

During the earlier stages of the pandemic, the BSO established BSO NOW, a streaming service allowing audiences to purchase access for streamed concerts. This was offered globally and received a significant response. It is now a regular part of the BSO performance ventures.

Grounds and Facilities

Dividing lines on the Tanglewood lawn created alleyways to walk through and provided some spacing between patrons. Green tarps were given out to welcome patrons back to Tanglewood, both as a gift and to create separation between patrons on the lawn. Both were very well-received.

Buildings, Visitor Center, Glass House, Guided Tours, etc.
The majority of these were closed, and a tent was set up for Glass House merchandise purchases. These were temporary, and presumably they will reopen and Docent and Walking tours will resume.

Key Highlights of Tanglewood Summer Season 2021

• Leadership Transition: Mark Volpe, BSO President and CEO for nearly a quarter of a century, retired this year. Gail Samuel began her tenure in this key leadership role as the Eunice and Julian Cohen President and CEO on June 21, 2021.
• On July 4, 2021, Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart led the Boston Pops in the organization’s first live concert in 478 days. This was a free performance at Tanglewood, attended by 9,000 patrons, which was broadcast on Bloomberg TV with fireworks from Boston Commons.
• On July 10, 2021, Ray and Maria Stata Music Director Andris Nelsons led the BSO in an all-Beethoven program live from the Koussevitzky Shed at Tanglewood, the orchestra’s first concert with live audiences since the pandemic.
• This Tanglewood season operated at 50% capacity, with 14 symphony concerts and two Boston Pops performances. Soloists included Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, and Daniil Trifonov. Highlights included Anne-Sophie Mutter performing the world premiere of John Williams’ Violin Concerto No. 2.
• Tanglewood in the City in Pittsfield and Community Chamber Concerts brought music to 4,150 Berkshire residents.
• Total Tanglewood attendance was 120,983 tickets sold and $5,232,605 in ticketing revenue

We received a lot of good feedback from our volunteers in the 2021 Tanglewood Survey, and we will be addressing your suggestions and comments very soon. Overall, we received a very positive response to this past season. The fact that you took the time to address the survey topics is very much appreciated.

Through all the challenges faced by live concert performances during this pandemic, we, the BSO and Volunteers of the BSO, managed to create an incredible Tanglewood season, through the best and worst of times.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.

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