<p>If you’re a fan of classical music, this is music to your ears: One of the nation’s premier summer festivals is coming back after the coronavirus pandemic silenced it for the first time since World War II.</p>
<p>The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced Friday that its 2021 outdoor season at Tanglewood, the acclaimed symphony’s summer home in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, will feature a return to live, in-person concerts from July 9 to Aug. 16.</p>
<p>Concerts at Tanglewood, where fans spread blankets on the manicured lawns, sip wine and picnic beneath the stars, have been a rite of summer in New England since 1937.</p>
<p>But the pandemic forced organizers to scrap the 2020 festival, switching to online performances and muting a tradition that annually draws nearly 350,000 visitors from around the world and funnels $100 million into the region’s economy. Until last year, the live music had flowed virtually uninterrupted, canceled outright only in 1943 at the height of WWII.</p>
<p>“I am sure we will all experience music’s incredible power on a whole new level,” Andris Nelsons, the BSO’s music director, said in a statement.</p>
<p>“My hope is that in this moment, we will discover together an even deeper purpose and meaning for music in our lives — as it is sure to fill our hearts and renew our spirits,” he said.</p>
<p>The orchestra said contactless ticketing, stringent cleaning protocols, mask-wearing and social distancing will be in place for the festival, which is being shortened from its usual 12-week run to about half that. All performances will be shortened to 80 minutes or less with no intermissions, it said, adding that concert details would be announced next month.</p>
<p>This summer’s festival will mark the orchestra’s return to live performances for the first time since the pandemic forced what will be a 16-month hiatus.</p>
<p>BSO President and CEO Mark Volpe acknowledged it’s taken a toll on musicians and fans alike, describing them as “a community of like-minded souls yearning for the power of music in their lives again.”</p>
<p>Over the decades, Tanglewood has produced memorable performances by classical music giants <a href="https://apnews.com/article/67b4790c7f634a34afe675022eb660bd">including the late Leonard Bernstein</a>, so it’s a fitting backdrop for a comeback from COVID-19, Nelsons said.</p>
<p>“My hope lies with music’s ability to heal and inspire us, helping to move and sustain us through the challenging times of our lives,” he said.</p>
