Massachusetts
Tanglewood: Meet the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Its Summer Home
Program No. 15533RJ
Discover the historic summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, reveling in world-class music, fine art, local cuisine and pristine nature in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains.
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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
)
8 expert-led lectures
1 expert-led field trip
4 performances
An experienced Group Leader
4 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Location:
Central Berkshires - Pittsfield
Meals:
D
Stay:
Holiday Inn & Suites Pittsfield-Berkshires
Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
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 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.
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.
Day
2
Edith Warton, BSO Lectures, BSO Concert
Location:
Central Berkshires - Pittsfield
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Holiday Inn & Suites Pittsfield-Berkshires
Activity Note
Getting in/out of a van. Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We'll take a ride by motor coach to The Mount - the home of the noted American author, Edith Wharton. A docent will give us a guided tour. The Mount chronicles Wharton’s life and her remarkable achievements and legacy. Edith Wharton was the author of The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome, and The House of Mirth. She was the first woman awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and a full membership in the American Academy of Arts and Letters. 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.
Lunch:
At the Formal Gardens tent on the Tanglewood campus, we’ll have boxed lunches.
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: TBD
Day
3
Morning Lecture, BSO Presentation, BSO Concert
Location:
Central Berkshires - Pittsfield
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Holiday Inn & Suites Pittsfield-Berkshires
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
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
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 you will need to pay onsite. 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 a session with a BSO musician or administrator.
Dinner:
At Tanglewood.
Evening:
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.
Day
4
Tanglewood Concert, BSO Presentation, BSO Concert
Location:
Central Berkshires - Pittsfield
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Holiday Inn & Suites Pittsfield-Berkshires
Activity Note
Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
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.
Lunch:
At Tanglewood, we’ll have boxed lunches.
Afternoon:
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.
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.
Day
5
Program Concludes
Location:
Central Berkshires - Pittsfield
Meals:
B
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon.
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.
Aug 07, 2025 - Aug 11, 2025
Jul 17, 2025 - Jul 21, 2025
Aug 07, 2025 - Aug 11, 2025
Jul 16, 2026 - Jul 20, 2026
Aug 20, 2026 - Aug 24, 2026
Aug 7 - Aug 11, 2025 Itinerary Differences:
Friday: Joshua Bell and Dvorák Symphony No. 9, From the New World
Saturday: John Williams’ Film Night
Sunday: TMC Chamber Music
Sunday: Yo-Yo Ma, Pépin, Saint-Saëns, and Mendelssohn
