Attending Tanglewood concert (summer home of Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops) has been a central part of our summer Berkshires weekend with family and friends for many years. (see my article with all the tips on visiting Tanglewood with family). There is so much diverse musical programming delivered by some of the world’s greatest musicians at this historic property -combined with beautiful scenery, several dining options and even yoga instruction to complement it – I find myself not willing to leave.
Here is how our July 2025 Tanglewood weekend unfolded. (Read about our 2023 weekend here).
Friday
We arrived early for our afternoon Lecture– before the evening concert crowds and were treated to a magical quiet of the alley paths and the lawns. We headed straight to the Linde Learning Institute for the Lecture on Tosca Opera (to be performed by Boston Symphy (the BSO) the following evening) given by Northeastern University Music Professor and Chair Hillary Poriss. The lecture was very helpful to fill us in on the plot, initial audience and critic reception when it was first released in 1900 and even the basics of the opera genre. It would be difficult to serve the many preparation levels, but the lecture was perfect for us, Opera beginners. We left quite literally wanting more!
(I have to confess that here we did leave Tanglewood to go out to a nearby town center of Lenox- later regretting to have missed the Prelude Concert -Tanglewood Chorus signing Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil a cappella (6pm Prelude Concerts are included with an evening performance ticket on Fridays and Saturdays).
We were back at Tanglewood for 8 pm one time evening Concert with Boston Pops and Broadway “royalty” Kelli O’Hara and Sutton Foster paying homage to screen icons Jule Andrews and Carol Burnett and their 1962 tv musical comedy special Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall (music directors Michael Rafter and Dan Lipton).
The lawn was packed (“It is an Opera Weekend,” I overheard one patron observing to the other”) but there was still room for anyone to join. Our group separated that evening for the Shed and the lawn seating.
I got to be at the Shed, thanks to the BSO invitation while my friends cuddled under the blankets on the lawn. It was a thoroughly entertaining evening for us all- of Broadway music and storytelling as Kelli and Sutton shared their life experiences of breaking the barriers and making themselves nto concert and screen stars they truly are. The evening was especially enjoyable for those who follows these actresses in various tv series).
Saturday
On Saturday morning we were back at Tanglewood at 10am. As we rolled in our little carriage with chairs and picnic supplies, we heard the last words of the pre-rehearsal talk given by Robert Kirzinger, BSO director of Publications himself (9 30am talk and 10 15 yoga is included with the BSO’s Saturday morning Open Rehearsal). On Saturday morning, there is typically a rehearsal for that Sunday afternoon concert. That July summer Saturday it was Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto (performed by virtuoso Yuja Wang) and Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique.
Program Notes duly noted that this was going to be a working rehearsal, with several starting, stopping and repetitions- and it was just that. We decided that we prefer a full concert after all (with no interruptions and more climatic progression), but were happy to have avoided a potential downpour on Sunday that weekend. Yes, Tanglewood’s open air grounds require some planning although their Shed and Hall’s seating accommodate all but severe weather.
After the rehearsal we briefly considered staying over for the Tour of the Grounds (available on Wednesdays, Saturday and Sunday) but went to the nearby Frelinghuysen Museum and coffee in Lenox instead.
We were back at Tanglewood at 6 45pm– for our dinner reserved at Cindy’s Buffet (here is a link to Tanglewood’s Dining reservations ). Cindy’s is right next to the Linde Center where we had attended a lecture the day before, so we were able to inquire and reserve then.
Dinner at Cindy’s was very enjoyable and views were impeccable for music lovers. We sat outside to enjoy the view of the nearby mountains and historic buildings but the inside (it really feels like inside/outside space due to large windows and open doors) is very airy and bright. They advertise using local ingredients and one thing we wish for was that we have had more time to enjoy the food and the views. We left our table 10 minutes to 8 and walked quite briskly to make it to the Shed on time.
Saturday evening concert was the highlight of our Tanglewood weekend- Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca (conducted by BSO’s Andris Nelson) with soprano Kristine Opolais in the title role, joined by brilliantly manipulative baritone Bryn Terfei as Scarpa and tenor SeokJong Baek in his BSO debut as Tosca lover artist Cavaradossi. As we had learned from the lecture, there was indeed a lot of violence but also unmatched vocal melody. I was moved to tears during Baek/Cavaradossi emotional performance of central area “E lucevan le stelle” (“And the stars were shining”) in which he proclaims his love for Tosca as he awaits the execution.
It is important to note that this Tanglewood performance of Tosca is “semi-staged” meaning that as different from a traditional opera house, the orchestra is on stage and there is a lot less room to play around. BSO’s staging coordinator for this production was Dan Rigazzi, and according to BSO’s publicist he did a lot of work “around making a big visual impact in a smaller amount of space”. I can attest to this! It was my first real Opera experience (not counting Mozart’s comic Cosi fan Tutte in 2023) and I was completely taken by the intensity of what was going on in that tiny bit of stage left for the singers- don’t forget the powerful and plentiful Tanglewood Festival Chorus and Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Chorus performing in this production! I suggest you study the season’s upcoming program as soon as it comes out in the spring, and be sure to choose Tanglewood Opera Weekend for your visit.
We were in our hotel rooms at 11pm, already planning our return in the morning on Sunday for a Family Concert.
Sunday
We were lucky to have our Tanglewood weekend coincide with Tanglewood Family Concert led by BSO’s Thomas Wilkins. We so much enjoyed maestro Wilkins’ Family Concert last year that we made a point to return (check out 2025 Family Programming in my post).
The best seating for Family Program is in the Shed, close to maestro and the BSO, whose members go out of their way to try to bring the instruments close to the audience of all ages.
During the Family Concert, the atmosphere is light as Wilkins leads the orchestra in performing carefully selected classical pieces, engaging the audience into a musical conversation in between. That Sunday he started with Chadwick’s Fourth movement from Symphony 3 and finished with Gould’s third movement from American Symphonette No. 2.
It felt so special to take Viv’s before and after photo opportunity with a BSO’s bassoonist Suzanne Nelsen.
Where we stayed
You can always drive up for a day’s visit but if you plan a weekend stay, try to book the lodging in advance. We stayed in newly renovated Hilton Garden Inn in Lenox (using out Hilton points).
Check out my other Berkshires stories for your weekend ideas.