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The Boston Symphony Orchestra performs for an audience in the modern Tanglewood Theatre in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts

Tanglewood: Meet the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Its Summer Home

Program No. 15533RJ
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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
5 days
4 nights
What's Included
11 meals ( 4B, 3L, 4D )
9 expert-led lectures
2 expert-led field trips
4 performances
An experienced Group Leader
4 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag.
Afternoon:
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 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 updated 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.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the full day ahead.
Activity Note
Getting in/out of a van. Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will depart the hotel by motor coach for a morning of discovery at The Mount, the former home of renowned American author Edith Wharton. A docent will guide us through the house, showcasing Wharton’s life, remarkable achievements, and lasting legacy. Edith Wharton, author of The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, and The House of Mirth, was the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and to be granted full membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. After the guided exploration you will have time to wander through the museum on your own. We will then venture 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.
Lunch:
We'll have boxed lunches in the Formal Gardens Tent at Tanglewood.
Afternoon:
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.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
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: Cynthia Erivo with the Boston Pops
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, we’ll be joined by Professor Jeremy Yudkin, former chairperson of Boston University’s Musicology Department, for a for a talk about the upcoming concerts we will be experiencing this weekend.
Lunch:
At the hotel.
Afternoon:
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 The Clark Art Institute. The entrance cost is not included in your program fees and will be collected by the group leader prior to check-in at the Institute. For those who decide to visit, you will have time for self-exploration. The Clark is an art museum and research institution. Its collection consists of European and American paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, photographs, and decorative arts from the fourteenth to the early twentieth century. The Clark, along with the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and the Williams College Museum of Art, forms a trio of art museums in the Berkshires. We will regroup in the late afternoon at the hotel and depart to Tanglewood for two more sessions with BSO musicians or administrators.
Dinner:
At Tanglewood in the Formal Gardens Tent.
Evening:
We'll start the evening with a prelude concert by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Following this, 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: Hisaishi conducts Dvorak Symphony No. 8 and Bernstein Chichester Psalms
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We'll start the morning with two presentations by BSO musicians or administrators.
Lunch:
We'll have boxed lunches in the Formal Gardens Tent at Tanglewood.
Afternoon:
We’ll attend a final presentation by a BSO musician or administrator prior to attending our last concert of the program in The Shed. Performance: Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Ode to Joy
Dinner:
Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 12:00 p.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
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!
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Please Note: This program has itinerary variations on certain dates.
Jul 16, 2026 - Jul 20, 2026
Aug 20, 2026 - Aug 24, 2026
Jul 15, 2027 - Jul 19, 2027
Aug 05, 2027 - Aug 09, 2027
Aug 20 - Aug 24, 2026 Itinerary Differences: Performance 1: Cynthia Erivo with the Boston Pops Performance 2: Tanglewood Festival Chorus Performance 3: Dvorák Symphony No. 8 and Bernstein Chichester Psalms Performance 4: Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Ode to Joy