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This summer is James Taylor’s 18th at the venue since his first appearance there in 1974. He celebrated his 60th birthday at Tanglewood last summer.
Thursday, Aug. 20
LENOX -- Singer-songwriter James Taylor will donate his $500,000 in earnings, after expenses, from next week's five-day Taylor festival at Tanglewood to the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home.

Confirming a report in Wednesday's Boston Globe, BSO managing director Mark Volpe called Taylor's donation "incredibly generous" in a telephone interview Wednesday afternoon from his Tanglewood office.

Taylor was unavailable for comment.

The Globe also reported that Taylor and his wife, Kim, former public relations director for the BSO and now a trustee, have donated more than $700,000 to the orchestra between 2005 and 2008 because of their concern for diminishing support of classical music.

Volpe noted last November, when plans for the 2009 Tanglewood season and the Taylor festival-within-the-festival were announced, that Taylor intended to donate his fees to Tanglewood.

"This was not out of the blue," Volpe said by phone. "James made it clear from the very beginning of our discussions (about this festival) that he wanted to contribute."

Volpe said no decisions have yet been made as to how the money will be used. That will wait until after the season ends. At that point, Volpe said, "I will sit down with my team and we will look over our needs at Tanglewood -- maintenance, capital expenditure, operating issues -- and then meet with the Taylors and discuss with them their interests. As it is with all our

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donors, it's a matter of matching our needs with their interests. And they know this place, even better than I."

The Taylor festival begins Wednesday, Aug. 26 with a master class led by Taylor drummer Steve Gadd and percussionist-composer Luis Conte. On following night in Ozawa Hall, Taylor and his musicians will host an evening of musicmaking and conversations about music.

The main event is two sold-out concerts, Friday, Aug. 28 and Saturday, Aug. 29 in The Shed featuring Taylor, Sheryl Crow and Yo-Yo Ma.

That Saturday morning, Taylor, composer-conductor John Williams and Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner will participate in a roundtable discussion in Ozawa Hall beginning at 11.

The festival winds up Sunday, Aug. 30 with a 2:30 p.m. concert in The Shed featuring Taylor, the Boston Pops under the direction of John Williams, and the Tanglewood Festival Chorus.

Taylor is no stranger to Tanglewood. This summer is Taylor's 18th at the venue since his first appearance there in 1974. He celebrated his 60th birthday at Tanglewood last summer and he's planning to return next summer for a mini-festival July 4 and 5.

"He's part of what defines Tanglewood," Volpe said. "He's among the icons we associate with this place. He's very much a part of the ethos of Tanglewood."