For many decades there has been concern that there is not enough music education in the schools.   But one of the by-products of so much classical music in the Berkshires is a plethora of music education opportunities. (more…)

You can find classical music of some variety just about every night at Tanglewood from mid-June until late August every year.   But on any given night in the Berkshires there are thousands of visitors and second homeowners who are willing to support music at other venues up and down the county.

The Concerts at Tannery Pond is a series of six or seven chamber music evenings held in an 1834 Shaker building in New Lebanon, New York from May through October.   Established in 1991 by photographer/pianist Christian Steiner, the annual series combines music with a serene setting that would be hard to beat anywhere.

Continuing in the chamber music genre, there is the South Mountain Concert Series, held on weekends in September each year.   Located just north of Lenox, the series has been presented since 1918 and is held in a hall built that specifically for chamber music.   Performers over the years have included Leonard Bernstein, Gary Graffman, Leontyne Price and Peter Serkin, and quartets have included the Borromeo, the Emerson, The Guarneri, the Tokyo, the Julliard, the Orion and the Vermeer. (more…)

80 Years!   If that is not sustainability, what is?   The Berkshire Theatre Festival is the lone presenting organization that matches Tanglewood’s tenure, and its stage has featured some of the most important actors of the century.   The 2008 schedule includes "Candida," opening next week and showcasing Jayne Atkinson, most recently famous for playing CTU Director Karen Hayes on 24. 

Other important offerings on the Main Stage include "The Book Club Play," "A Man for All Seasons," "Noel Coward in Two Keys," "Oliver!,"  and six plays in the Unicorn Theater.   BTF will feature "A Christmas Carol" in December….what a great opportunity for a Romantic Getaway at a Berkshire inn, such as Hampton Terrace, which is located just a ten minute drive from Stockbridge and the Berkshire Theatre Festival.   TripAdvisor.com ranks Hampton Terrace among the top two Lenox inns based on unsolicited guest reviews.

Unquestionably Tanglewood is the most internationally known attraction in the Berkshires, but our theater offerings are an embarrassment of riches:   Shakespeare & Company, Barrington Stage Company, Williamstown Theater Festival, Jacob’s Pillow and many others.   This column will feature a different theatre company each day, and while attending shows and considering Berkshires lodging, check out Hampton Terrace, located just steps from Lenox’s heralded restaurants and shops.  

Tanglewood fills the Berkshires every weekend during the summer.   If you want to avoid the large crowds and enjoy a wide range of theater offerings while staying in a romantic b&b, consider a mid-week visit and save 30% compared to our normal room rates.