The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced a $30 million expansion of Tanglewood, its summer home in the Berkshires.  
 
Tanglewood plans, in the summer of 2019, to open a four-building complex for performances and rehearsals during its summer academy for advanced musical study.  
 
BSO Managing Director, Mark Volpe says, this will be the largest addition there since a 1200 seat concert hall in 1994.
 
"Tanglewood is already the preeminent festival in North America.  What we hope is that this will stimulate people who are already coming...but also people who haven't been to Tanglewood to want to experience all that is unique about Tanglewood," says Volpe.
 
The new buildings will also house an institute for visitors to participate in education programs.
 
"This Learning Institute will focus primarily on music, but other disciplines and how they relate to music will certainly be part of the experience," says Volpe. "It's still in the development phase, but will offer a variety of learning and appreciation programs featuring seminars and panel discussions, film presentations, conversations with artists and special access to concerts and master classes."
 
BSO Music Director, Andris Nelsons, says, "Tanglewood's new building project will provide the best possible atmosphere for the talented Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center to learn and grow on their path to becoming the next generation of musicians."
 
Nelsons adds that the new Tanglewood Learning Institute starts a new chapter in the orchestra's history, by connecting the audience to the music-making in new ways, and expanding the Tanglewood's reach by welcoming new visitors who can experience all of the venue's musical gifts.
 
The $30 million building project is part of a multi-year fundraising effort to support ongoing Tanglewood building upgrades and expansions. It includes a special endowment for the BSO's concert activities and other Tanglewood programming.
 
Groundbreaking for the new building complex will take place late summer of this year.