Tanglewood Learning Institute Announces Additions to 2026 Spotlight Series

The Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI) Spotlight Series, which each summer features some of the world's greatest thinkers, artists, and luminaries as they help us explore and understand the world around us, adds two new presentations to this summer’s schedule.

The first of these features 11-time Grammy Award-winning bassist Christian McBride in conversation with Peabody Award-winning director Catherine Burns (Sat., July 18 at 5 p.m.). Through a true, personal story, McBride offers a rare glimpse into his musical inspiration and illustrious career. Then, following a virtuosic live bass performance, the evening continues with a dynamic conversation on artistry and humanity hosted by Burns.  

The second new talk brings together two titans of contemporary musical theater writing, husband-and-wife duo Jason Robert Brown and Georgia Stitt, and Peabody Award-winning WQXR broadcaster Elliott Forrest for an afternoon of engaging conversation and creative insight (Sat., Aug. 22 at 2 p.m.). In this wide-ranging discussion about the art of making music, Brown, Stitt, and Forrest provide insights into how music and lyrics are developed for musicals, film, television, and recordings. 

Previously announced Spotlight Series talks are historian and author Heather Cox Richardson with Equal Justice Initiative founder Bryan Stevenson (Sat., Aug. 8 at 5 p.m., part of the We the People: Our Shared Past, Present, and Future series curated by Yo-Yo Ma) and multimedia artist Laurie Anderson with director Peter Sellars (Sat., Aug. 15 at 2 p.m., part of a weekend of programs curated by Anderson).  

TLI Open Workshop and Art of Conducting Additions

The TLI Open Workshop series, which offers the public a firsthand look into the educational experience of TMC Fellows, adds two new Mozart Piano Concerto Seminars with Emanuel Ax (Wed., July 15 at 1:30 p.m. and Thurs., July 16 at 4 p.m.). A longtime friend of Tanglewood, Ax himself is performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25, K.503 with Andris Nelsons and the BSO the previous week (Sat., July 11 at 8 p.m.). 

The Art of Conducting series, which brings some of the field’s most celebrated conductors to coach this year’s TMC Conducting Fellows Lauren Smith and Julian Gilewski, also adds three new dates since the season announcement. TMC Conducting Faculty member James Ross works with the Fellows on July 8 at 1:30 p.m., and BSO Music Director and Head of Conducting at Tanglewood Andris Nelsons leads a session on Wednesday, July 29 at 1:30 p.m. Esa-Pekka Salonen, director of this summer’s Festival of Contemporary Music, coaches the Fellows on Friday, July 31 at 1:30 p.m. and shares the stage with them in a TMCO concert the following Monday (Aug. 3 at 8 p.m.). Previously announced Art of Conducting sessions are led by Andris Nelsons (Sun., July 12 at 11 a.m.) and Marin Alsop (Thurs., Aug. 13 at 4 p.m.).