Tanglewood’s Economic Impact on Berkshire Region Exceeds $103 Million

TANGLEWOOD’S ECONOMIC IMPACT ON THE BERKSHIRE REGION EXCEEDS $103 MILLION, AN INCREASE OF OVER $40 MILLION OVER PREVIOUS STUDY FROM 2008

TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL’S ECONOMIC IMPACT EXPECTED TO RISE TO $127 MILLION DURING CONSTRUCTION OF NEW FOUR-BUILDING COMPLEX IN SUPPORT OF THE TANGLEWOOD MUSIC CENTER AND THE NEW TANGLEWOOD LEARNING INSTITUTE, OPENING IN SUMMER 2019

NEW DATA COMES FROM PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A NEW THIRD-PARTY ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY FROM STEPHEN SHEPPARD, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT WILLIAMS COLLEGE

COMPLETE STUDY, WITH ECONOMIC IMPACT DETAILS ABOUT
THE BOSTON SYMPHONY, BOSTON POPS, AND TANGLEWOOD,
TO BE RELEASED THIS SUMMER

Tanglewood’s performance and operations activities have more than a $103 million impact on the economic activity in the state and in the Berkshire region, according to preliminary findings of a new third-party study by Stephen Sheppard, Professor of Economics at Williams College. This number represents an increase of over $40 million when compared to the previous third-party economic impact study in 2008; it was reported at that time that Tanglewood’s economic impact in the region was $60 million. Professor Sheppard accredits the 70% increase in the economic impact of Tanglewood on the Berkshire region to several factors, including:  an increase in the festival’s overall attendance; an increase in the amount people spend per visit; an increase in the length of time people stay in the area per visit; and a growing perception of Massachusetts, in general, and Berkshire County, in particular, as a vibrant tourist destination.

Professor Sheppard (brief bio below) was a lead researcher and economic analyst for the 2008 Mount Auburn Associates study.  Mr. Sheppard’s full 2017 report, analyzing the economic impact of the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood both statewide and on their respective regions, will be released this summer.

QUOTE FROM STEPHEN SHEPPARD, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT WILLIAMS COLLEGE
“My analysis of the impact of Tanglewood, including the impact of the operations at the music center, the impact of visitors who come to the Berkshires to attend a Tanglewood event, and the impact of planned new construction at the Tanglewood Learning Institute underscores how important Tanglewood is for the region’s economy.

“As a major cultural attraction for the region, Tanglewood is responsible for significant amounts of localemployment, labor earnings, tax revenues and economic output. Our economic model illustrates the wide variety of jobs that exist in the region because of Tanglewood. This includes many jobs in economic sectors not normally associated with cultural tourism, including hospitals, physician services, banking and business administration where labor earnings easily exceed $70 thousand per year. With the other economic challenges that confront communities in the county, we are fortunate to have the continued presence of Tanglewood as a key economic force of the region.”

QUOTE FROM MARK VOLPE, EUNICE AND JULIAN COHEN BSO MANAGING DIRECTOR
“An iconic music festival known the world over, Tanglewood is vital to the cultural life of the Berkshires and equally important as a contributor to the economy, adding more than $103 million annually to the economic engine of the region and the state, an increase of more than $40 million since 2008.

“It is deeply gratifying to all of us at the Boston Symphony Orchestra that our investment in the future of Tanglewood—with the construction of a new four-building complex for the Tanglewood Music Center and the new Tanglewood Learning Center—will make such a significantly increased contribution to the surrounding area. It is quite remarkable that during the construction phase of this project over the next 2-3 years Tanglewood’s economic impact will rise to $127 million, providing an increased work force to the region, along with other benefits essential to the area’s success as one of the country’s leading summertime tourist destinations and premier places for art and culture.

“We believe this great news underscores the ideal relationship between a festival and its surroundings—where Tanglewood thrives so abundantly in large part due to its setting in the beautiful Berkshire hills,  while at the same time strengthening and enhancing the community it is so privileged to know and serve.”

FURTHER DETAILS FROM PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF 2017 ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY:  TANGLEWOOD AND THE BERKSHIRE REGION

350,000 Visitors Annually to Tanglewood Have Major Impact on Region’s Economy
More than 350,000 people attend Tanglewood concerts each summer, with nearly 84% visiting from outside of Berkshire County and 49% visiting from outside the state; the average visitor to Tanglewood spends 3.8 days in the Berkshires. Overall visitor expenditures contribute more than $43 million in economic activity to Berkshire County. Tanglewood visitors also patronize many other Berkshire area institutions and take part in various activities throughout the area, helping to contribute to the region’s overall vitality.  As an example, 13.4% of Tanglewood patrons visit attend the Norman Rockwell Museum and 14.2% the Clark Art Institute.

In addition, second-home owners attracted to the region primarily by their interest in Tanglewood pay more than $13 million per year in residential property taxes to communities throughout Berkshire County, a number that represents an important source of revenue for local governments.

Impact of New Tanglewood Building Project on Berkshire County Economy
During the period of construction of the new four-building complex in support of the Tanglewood Music Center and the new Tanglewood Learning Institute scheduled to open in summer 2019 (link to press release), the festival’s economic impact is expected to rise to $127 million per year, an 110% increase over the $60 million 2008 number.

In an average year, Tanglewood creates between 930 and 1100 jobs in the region; during the construction period of the new building project, fall 2017-spring 2019, this number will increase to nearly 1400. These jobs increase labor income directly through payroll outlays and the purchase of goods and services but also indirectly as vendors and their employees themselves spend their incomes making local purchases.  The total impact adds about $35 million to the region’s total labor income, an amount which is expected to increase to about $45 million during the construction of the new buildings. During this period, it is estimated that Tanglewood’s economic impact reduces the unemployment rate in the region by about 1.5 percentage points.

Background Information on Stephen Sheppard, Professor of Economics Williams College
Dr. Stephen Sheppard is the Class of 2012 Professor of Economics at Williams College and founding Director of the Williams College Center for Creative Community Development (C3D).  Professor Sheppard’s research focuses on the impact of cultural organizations on urban and community development as well as the economics of housing markets and urban areas, particularly the impact of environmental and cultural amenities on property values, land-use regulation, and the causes and consequences of urban sprawl in cities around the world.  His research has been supported by the Ford Foundation, the World Bank, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the National Center for Real Estate Research, the UK Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the UK Department for International Development.

DESCRIPTION OF TANGLEWOOD FESTIVAL AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE BSO’S BUDGET, ENDOWMENT, AND HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE BSO.ORG
One of the premier summer music festivals in the world and summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937, Tanglewood is located in the beautiful Berkshire Hills, between Stockbridge and Lenox, Massachusetts, and draws an average annual attendance of more than 350,000. The Tanglewood Music Center is the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s acclaimed summer music academy; Serge Koussevitzy (BSO Music Director 1925-49) founded the festival in 1937 and opened the TMC in 1940. Tanglewood’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2012, drew a record audience of 376,000 visitors to the Festival.  Exciting future projects include a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth during the 2018 Tanglewood season, with performances that will be part of an international celebration of this iconic figure, and the opening of a four-building complex in support of the Tanglewood Music Center and the new Tanglewood Learning Institute in summer 2019 (link to release). Details about the 2017 Tanglewood season, highlighted by 10 programs led by Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andris Nelsons and major new initiatives designed to give patrons a wide spectrum of musical, entertainment, and educational activities, can be found at www.tanglewood.org or (link to release).   The BSO’s current endowment is $451 million (December 31, 2016), and its operating budget is $97 million (2017); the BSO’s annual marketing budget for Tanglewood is $2 million. BSO.org, which also hosts tanglewood.org, is one of the largest and most-visited orchestra web sites in the world, attracting approximately 10 million visitors annually and generating over $128 million in revenue since its initial launch in 1996.

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF NEW TANGLEWOOD BUILDING PROJECT; 2017 TANGLEWOOD SEASON; AND THE FESTIVAL’S MANY OFFERINGS

Brief Overview of Tanglewood’s New Building Project
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced a major new investment in the future of Tanglewood that will  broaden its reputation as one of the premier festivals in the world and famed summer home of the BSO since 1937, as well as that of its acclaimed summer music academy, the Tanglewood Music Center, founded in 1940.  Launching a new chapter in the illustrious festival’s 80-year history, Tanglewood has announced plans for the construction of a new multi-use, multi-season four-building complex designed to support the performance and rehearsal activities of the Tanglewood Music Center and be the focal point of a new initiative, the Tanglewood Learning Institute, offering wide-ranging education and enrichment programs designed to enhance the patron experience.  Located on the Tanglewood grounds in close proximity to Ozawa Hall, this new highly sustainable building complex will be climate-controlled to accommodate use by the Berkshire community in the off-season. Scheduled to open in summer 2019, the new building complex is designed by William Rawn Associates, Architects, led by William Rawn and Cliff Gayley, and will be the largest building project at Tanglewood since the construction of Ozawa Hall (1994), also designed by William Rawn Associates.  Reed Hilderbrand will serve as the project’s landscape architects.

2017 Tanglewood Season Brief Overview            
The 2017 Tanglewood season, June 16-Labor Day Weekend, offers visitors an exceptional lineup of performances and musical activities for music lovers of every age, highlighted by 10 programs led by Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andris Nelsons and major new initiatives designed to give patrons a wide spectrum of musical, entertainment, and educational activities, including some to enjoy before and after selected performances throughout the summer. In his most significant commitment yet to Tanglewood, Mr. Nelsons will lead both the opening and closing BSO concerts, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, and Beethoven Symphony No. 9; an opera gala with Kristine Opolais and Dmitri Hvorostovsky performing excerpts from Simon Boccanegra, La traviata, and Eugene Onegin, and the first-ever BSO and festival concert performance of the complete Das Rheingold, a tour de force milestone in the history of the festival. Mr. Nelsons will also conduct the Boston Pops Orchestra for the first time, sharing the podium for Film Night with John Williams. In addition to Tanglewood’s classical music offerings, the 2017 Tanglewood season also includes performances by “Four Voices”—featuring Joan Baez, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Amy Ray and Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls (6/17); jazz piano prodigy Joey Alexander (6/23);Chris Botti with the Boston Pops and conductor Lawrence Loh (6/24);Boz Scaggs and Michael McDonald (6/30); John Mellencamp with Emmylou Harris and Carlene Carpenter(7/1); singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant (7/2); James Taylor and his All-Star Band (7/3 & 4); David Sedaris (8/20); Sting (8/29); iconic singer Diana Ross (8/30); American folk-rock band The Avett Brothers (9/1); and Melissa Etheridge, who joins Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops to close out the 2017 Tanglewood season (9/3).Tickets for the 2017 Tanglewood, season, $12-$124, are available through Tanglewood’s website, www.tanglewood.org, through SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office at 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston MA. Tickets will also be available for purchase in person at the Tanglewood Box Office at Tanglewood’s Main Gate on West Street in Lenox, MA, in June 2017.

FOR FULL SEASON DETAILS OF THE 2017 TANGLEWOOD SEASON, INCLUDING DOWNLOADABLE PHOTOS AND VIDEO, PROGRAM LISTINGS, AND ARTIST PHOTOS AND BIOGRAPHIES, CLICK HERE

Brief Overview of Tanglewood, the BSO’s Summer Home Since 1937
One of the most popular and acclaimed music festivals in the world, Tanglewood—the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer home since 1937—is located in the beautiful Berkshire Hills between Lenox and Stockbridge, MA. With an average annual attendance of more than 350,000 visitors, Tanglewood has a $100 million impact on the Berkshire economy each summer. Tanglewood presents orchestra concerts by the Boston Symphony, Boston Pops, and visiting ensembles, featuring many of the greatest classical musicians of our time; recital and chamber music concerts in the intimate setting of Ozawa Hall; programs highlighting the young musicians of the Tanglewood Music Center; and performances by some of today’s leading popular artists. Introduced in 2013, $20 tickets for attendees under 40 will be available for select BSO and Boston Pops performances in the Shed. Tanglewood is family-friendly, with free lawn tickets available for children and young people age 17 and under, and a variety of special programs for children, including Kids’ Corner, Watch and Play, and the annual Family Concert, this year to take place on Saturday, July 22. The 2017 Tanglewood season will launch a new initiative designed to give visitors a variety of activities to enjoy during pre- and post-concert hours around the BSO’s Sunday afternoon concerts. Tanglewood is also the home of the Tanglewood Music Center, the BSO’s preeminent summer music academy for the advanced training of young professional musicians, and Days in the Arts, a multi-cultural arts-immersion program that gives 400 fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-graders from communities across Massachusetts the opportunity to explore the arts in week-long sessions throughout the summer. These are just two of the BSO’s many educational and outreach activities, for which more information is available online at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s website, www.bso.org— receiving approximately 10 million visitors annually and generating over $128 million in revenue since its launch in 1996. Music lovers can follow Tanglewood via its new social media accounts on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TanglewoodMusicFestival/, on Twitter @TanglewoodMA, and on Instagram @TanglewoodMusicFestival. The Boston Symphony is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bostonsymphony, on Twitter @bostonsymphony, and on Instagram @bostonsymphony. The Boston Pops is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thebostonpops, on Twitter @thebostonpops, and on Instagram @thebostonpops.