The History of Tanglewood

In August 1934, a group of music-loving Berkshire summer residents arranged for members of the New York Philharmonic to perform three outdoor concerts at Interlocken, a successful venture that was repeated in 1935. The Festival Committee then invited Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra to take part the following year. The orchestra's Trustees accepted, and on August 13, 1936, the BSO gave its first concerts in the Berkshires, at Holmwood. The three-concert series was given under a large tent for an audience of nearly 15,000.

BSO Music Directors

The BSO has had many Music Directors over the years, but it was the vision of Serge Koussevitzky which helped Tanglewood to develop into the premier music festival in the world that it is today.