Noted musicians have also been drawn to the Berkshires’ pastoral hills for decades. After
James Taylor visited the area years ago, he decided to make it his permanent home. Taylor is so fond of his backyard, he chose Pittsfield’s Colonial Theatre as the location for James Taylor: One Man Band, a 2007 concert/theater performance of his greatest hits that was broadcast on PBS stations around the country. The
Boston native moved to Berkshire County in early 2000 with his wife, Kim Smedvig, and their twin sons, Henry and Rufus.
“For a rural destination, the Berkshires have a remarkable variety to offer, culturally,” Taylor says. “The lovely landscape and the history of the region all combine to make this place the place for me. Now the boys are in school here. … It’s definitely the family home.”
It’s also the family home, at least from July through early September, of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO), which has performed every summer for more than 73 years at Tanglewood, a private estate that was gifted to the BSO in 1936. Mark Ludwig, a violist with the BSO who has spent his summers at his home in the Berkshires for the past 27 years, says it was the peaceful glory of the surrounding countryside that first lured him -- and so many other artists -- here.
“Experiencing the seasonal changes upon the landscape here has a profound effect on me as an artist. The sounds, colors, play of light, and the contour of the mountains provide one with a deep sense of sanctuary,” Ludwig says. “It is definitely a haven for inspiration and introspection.”
But Taylor credits something else with keeping the charm of the Berkshires alive. “Above all, it’s the people who call the Berkshires home,” he says. “I’ve never met finer folks.”