# Tanglewood Festival Chorus

> the Boston Symphony's chorus since 1970

**Wikidata**: [Q7683038](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7683038)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanglewood_Festival_Chorus)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tanglewood-festival-chorus

## Summary  
The Tanglewood Festival Chorus is the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, established in 1970. It performs major choral works alongside the orchestra at Tanglewood, the BSO’s summer home, and occasionally in Boston. The chorus is recognized as one of the leading symphonic choruses in the United States.

## Key Facts  
- Founded in 1970 as the Boston Symphony's official chorus  
- Based in the United States  
- Performs regularly at Tanglewood, the BSO’s summer venue  
- Classified as a choir (instance_of: choir)  
- Maintains an active discography and appears on multiple classical recordings  
- Associated with the Boston Symphony Orchestra  
- Has an ISNI identifier: 0000000119549114  
- VIAF ID: 123297669  
- MusicBrainz Artist ID: d8002af8-7959-4cd5-95a0-eeadb2a638c7  

## FAQs  
### Q: What is the Tanglewood Festival Chorus?  
A: The Tanglewood Festival Chorus is the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was founded in 1970 and performs large-scale choral works with the orchestra during the Tanglewood season and occasional concerts in Boston.

### Q: Where does the Tanglewood Festival Chorus perform?  
A: The chorus primarily performs at Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in Massachusetts. It also occasionally performs at Symphony Hall in Boston.

### Q: Who directs the Tanglewood Festival Chorus?  
A: The chorus has been led by several conductors since its inception. As of recent years, James Burton serves as the BSO’s Director of Choral Activities and conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

## Why It Matters  
The Tanglewood Festival Chorus plays a vital role in the performance of large-scale symphonic choral literature, bringing together professional and advanced amateur singers to support the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s mission. Its presence enables the BSO to present monumental works—such as Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mahler’s symphonies, and Verdi’s Requiem—that require a full chorus. Since its founding in 1970, the chorus has contributed to hundreds of performances and numerous acclaimed recordings, enhancing the cultural landscape of American classical music. Its association with one of the world’s premier orchestras underscores its importance in maintaining high artistic standards in choral performance.

## Notable For  
- Serving as the official chorus of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1970  
- Performing annually at Tanglewood, one of the most prestigious classical music festivals in the U.S.  
- Collaborating on critically acclaimed recordings with the BSO  
- Being led by prominent choral conductors including James Burton  
- Representing a model of excellence in symphonic choral performance  

## Body  

### History and Foundation  
The Tanglewood Festival Chorus was founded in 1970 to serve as the primary choral ensemble for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. It was created to meet the demands of the BSO’s repertoire, which includes many large-scale works requiring a dedicated chorus. The chorus performs under the baton of the BSO’s conductors and maintains a strong presence at both Tanglewood and Symphony Hall.

### Role and Repertoire  
The chorus specializes in performing symphonic choral works, often in collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Its repertoire spans from Baroque masterpieces to contemporary compositions. Notable works performed include:

- Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9  
- Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”  
- Verdi’s Requiem  
- Bach’s Mass in B Minor  

These performances take place primarily at Tanglewood during the summer season and occasionally in Boston during the winter subscription series.

### Leadership  
Since its inception, the chorus has worked under various conductors associated with the BSO. In recent years, James Burton has served as the BSO’s Director of Choral Activities and conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. His leadership continues the tradition of musical excellence established by earlier directors.

### Recordings and Recognition  
The Tanglewood Festival Chorus has participated in numerous commercial recordings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, contributing to the ensemble’s international reputation. These recordings are distributed through major classical labels and are available on platforms such as Discogs and Billboard. IDs associated with the chorus include:

- Discogs Artist ID: 1174797  
- Billboard Artist ID: tanglewood-festival-chorus  
- MusicBrainz Artist ID: d8002af8-7959-4cd5-95a0-eeadb2a638c7  

### Institutional Affiliations and Identifiers  
As part of the Boston Symphony Orchestra ecosystem, the chorus is linked to several authoritative databases and institutions, including:

- Library of Congress Authority ID: n83152532  
- National Library of Israel J9U ID: 987007601863405171  
- CiNii Research ID: 1140563741560556288  
- Yale LUX ID: group/a610a059-19f4-4f0e-989b-6de23d45bbfc  

These identifiers reflect the chorus’s integration into global systems of cultural and scholarly documentation.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. CiNii Research
3. MusicBrainz
4. Czech National Authority Database
5. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File