Experience the Magic of TANGLEWOOD ON PARADE 2023: Music, Activities, and Entertainment for the Whole Family

A favorite and much-anticipated annual tradition since 1946, Tanglewood on Parade—a festive day of music and family-friendly activities—will take place on Tuesday, August 8, opening with brass fanfares at Tanglewood's Main Gate at 2 p.m. After an afternoon of fun and games on the Tanglewood grounds, the day culminates in an 8 p.m. concert highlighted by Boston Pops Conductor Laureate John Williams leading music he composed from films Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Born on the Fourth of July, and Hook, as well as performances led by BSO Music Director Andris Nelsons, Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart, and TMC Conducting Fellow Armand Birk. 

Near the end of the evening concert, Andris Nelsons will lead musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the TMC Orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, followed by a dramatic fireworks display over the Stockbridge Bowl. Please see below for a full schedule of the day’s family-friendly activities and the entire program for the 8 p.m. concert, which will also be updated on our website. 

Tanglewood on Parade (TOP) dates to 1940, when BSO Music Director Serge Koussevitzky organized an “Allied Relief Fund Benefit.” In 1946, following World War II, the benefit was renamed “Tanglewood on Parade,” and it has become an annual celebration and a fundraiser to support the activities of the Tanglewood Music Center.  Fundamentally, the event has remained unchanged throughout the years, including the final offering being a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, played by both the BSO and TMCO, followed by fireworks. 

For season press releases, downloadable current and archival photos, and a Tanglewood history and chronology, see our 2023 Tanglewood Press Kit. 

Tanglewood on Parade Schedule

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

• 2:00 PM GATES OPEN – BU Tanglewood Institute Fanfares (Main Gate) 

• 2:00 PM – Face painting by Bria (Visitor Center Porch: occurs throughout the afternoon) 

• 2:30 PM – BU Tanglewood Institute Chamber Music (Chamber Music Hall) 

• 2:30 PM – Circle Round performance of three never-before-heard stories featuring Rebecca Sheir, Eric Shimelonis, and a quartet of BSO musicians (Ozawa Hall)

• 3:15 PM – The Strolling Magic of Bonaparte (Roaming the Lawn) 

• 3:30 PM – TMC Chamber Music (Tappan House Porch) 

• 3:30 PM – Steinway Spirio Player Piano Recital (Studio E & Linde Center Lawn)

• 4:00 PM – The Magic of Bonaparte (Visitor Center Lawn) 

• 4:00 PM – BU Tanglewood Institute TOP Young Artists Orchestra and Chorus Concert (Koussevitzky Music Shed) 

• 5:00 PM– Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Music (Ozawa Hall) 

• 5:15 PM – The Strolling Magic of Bonaparte (Roaming the Lawn) 

• 7:30 PM– Tanglewood Music Center Brass Fanfares (Shed) 

• 8:00 PM– Tanglewood on Parade Concert (Shed) 

• 10:00 PM– Fireworks Display (Lawn) 

For the most up-to-date version of the Tanglewood on Parade Schedule, visit our website. 

Tanglewood on Parade Concert Program

8:00 PM, Koussevitsky Music Shed

Boston Symphony Orchestra 

Boston Pops Orchestra 

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra 

Keith Lockhart, Andris Nelsons, John Williams,
and TMC Fellow Armand Birk, conductors

RAVEL Boléro (Birk/TMCO) 

Arturs MASKATS Tango (Nelsons/BSO) 

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scene and Gypsy Song and Fandango asturiano from Capriccio espagnol (Lockhart/Pops)  

COREA (arr. Emilio SOLLA) Spain (Lockhart/Pops) 

John Williams Scherzo for Motorcycle and Orchestra from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Williams/Pops)  

John Williams Theme from Born on the Fourth of July (Williams/Pops) 

John Williams Flight to Neverland, from Hook (Williams/Pops) 

TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture (Nelsons/BSO/TMCO) 

How to Purchase Tickets

TICKETS FOR TANGLEWOOD ON PARADE ARE ON SALE THROUGH 

TANGLEWOOD.ORG AND 888-266-1200 

Up to four free children’s tickets for Tanglewood on Parade are available per parent/legal guardian at the Tanglewood Box Office beginning at noon on the day of the event (Tuesday, August 8th). Additional discounts are available for military personnel and veterans as well as members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. 

The Main Gate Box Office  

Monday–Friday: 12 p.m.–6 p.m. or intermission on concert night  

Saturdays: 9 a.m.–intermission  
Sundays: 11 a.m.–6 p.m. or intermission  
 

Ticketing & Customer Service by Phone  

Monday-Friday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Saturday: 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

Phone: 617-266-1200  

888-266-1200 (toll-free)  

Email: customerservice@bso.org 

Formal Titles for BSO Conductors and Guest Composers

Andris Nelson is the Ray and Maria Stata BSO Music Director 

Keith Lockhart is the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor 

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