BU Tanglewood Institute: From the Director’s Desk | May 2024

Dear friends,

Summer is almost upon us! I can tell because the sun doesn’t set until 8pm and I can’t stop sneezing, ha!

In all seriousness, though, summer really is almost here, and I can’t wait until our students arrive on campus. Nothing elicits more nostalgia than hearing the mornings come slowly alive with warmups—a lone trombone blossoming into a full symphony of scales and etudes as the sun rises and the dew dries. This is a practice so many of us can relate to and remember from our youth, and so shall it be for this new cohort of young musicians.

In preparation, there is much to be proud of and excited for this summer. The expansion of our new shed-naming project continues. After a successful kickoff with our first new shed, “Harmony,” we now look forward to the installation of our second, “Paul’s Place.” There is a third standing ready for naming as well, anxiously waiting to “shed” its title “Shed 4.” Who will be the next to make their mark? We’ve seen the installation of new blinds in all of Groton’s rooms and new drapes hung in the Library and Annex. Our furniture has been completely reupholstered and is ready to be a place of rest for weary bodies. Each one of our sheds and shells have had a facelift, including new windows and doors. And, most impressively, we welcome the arrival of new xylophones, chimes, and marimbas to our percussion family.

Our guest artist and new faculty roster is expansive and inspiring. New to the BUTI team are Violin Workshop Director, Michael Jorgensen; Percussion Workshop Director, Jon Bisesi, and Assistant Director, Gregory LaRosa; Cello Workshop Director, Allison Eldredge; Double Bass Workshop Director, Ira Gold, and Assistant Director, Carl Anderson; Young Artists Programs Brass Faculty Matthew Wright and Courtney Jones; Young Artists Percussion Faculty, Marcelina Suchocka; and Young Artists Vocal Program Faculty Jade Espina. Visiting faculty include superstar guests Karin Bliznik (trumpet), Elisabeth Shafer (trombone), Tracy Rowell (double bass), Mark Tempesta (tenor), and Sandra Shen (piano).

BUTI’s Guest Artists include even more giants in the field. This summer we welcome back THE Imani Winds Wind Quintet; BUTI alumnus and world-renowned composer Nico Muhly; recent GRAMMY award-winning composer Jessie Montgomery; composer and violinist of PUBLIQuartet Curtis Stewart; the Coast Guard Premier Band; soprano Amanda Majeski; and so many more. This summer’s conductor roster includes Beatrice Affron, Paul Haas, Kerem Hasan, David Martins, H. Robert Reynolds, Mallory Thompson, and Katie Woolf.

But wait, there’s more! We are beyond thrilled to launch a brand-new workshop program: Classical Guitar. Illustrious guitarists and Co-Directors Jiji Kim and Jason Vieaux will lead the inaugural 2-week Classical Guitar Workshop for a cohort of aspiring young classical guitarists. I know that you’ll be as excited as I am to see them in recital at Trinity Church in less than 2 months!

I feel a deeper gratitude nearly every day for BUTI and all those who work to support it, starting with Harvey Young, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, who is a tireless advocate for BUTI’s success. And you absolutely must know about Ashley Moore, Marilu Santacruz, and Valerie Williams—BUTI’s year-round team who start from a blank slate every September to make the next summer’s magic come to life. Laura Avila, Jiayu Li, and Maya Lynn who do the work of shepherding the students and parents all the way through the application and admissions cycle. Bonnie and Terry Burman, who named our very first new shed, John and Ellen Yates who named our second shed in honor of their son and BUTI alumnus, Paul, the inimitable Cindy Curme, chair of BUTI’s Advisory Council, and Beth Barclay, Denise Savino, and Janna Schwartz, who make the best development team anyone could ask for. All of the Workshop Directors, Assistant Directors, and Young Artists Programs Directors who work tirelessly to implement and instill the Magic of Tanglewood. And finally, you yourself, without whom the music would go silent, and I would simply be talking into a void.

This summer is going to be the summer of a lifetime, and I’m so happy that you are a part of it. Enjoy the rest of spring (and your allergies), and I’ll see you soon in Lenox!

Until soon and with ever-increasing excitement for summer,

Nicole Wendl
BUTI Executive Director

*Published in BUTI’s Prelude! May 2024