By now you know that Jermaine Dupri couldn’t make it to Pure Atlanta last night because he was in Dubai with Janet Jackson for the Grand Opening of the world’s most expensive hotel, the $1.5 billion dollar Atlantis on the man-made Palm Jumeirah island. I know you’ve all seen pictures of it.

According to JustJared, more than 2000 celebrities from all over the world traveled to Dubai to indulge in the wasteful excess, including A-listers like Charlize Theron, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, Michael Jordan, Denzel Washington, Mary-Kate Olsen and even Oprah. B-listers Wesley Snipes and Chris Tucker were also there.

International singing star Kylie was paid a whopping $4 million to perform for one hour. The Grand Opening party for the ultra luxurious Palm Jumeirah man-made island cost more than $32 million and the party guests were worth billions in personal wealth. I’m sure security for the party was ridiculous.

Photos: Wireimage/Getty

Friday, June 26, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Emerson String Quartet
Paul Neubauer, viola
IVES Quartet No. 1
DVOŘÁK Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96, The American
BARBER Adagio, from Quartet, Op. 11
DVOŘÁK String Quintet No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 97, American

Saturday, June 27, 5:45 p.m. Shed
A Prairie Home Companion at Tanglewood
with Garrison Keillor
Live broadcast

Sunday, June 28, 2:30 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Juilliard String Quartet
ALL-HAYDN PROGRAM
Sun Quartets
Quartet No. 27 in D, Op. 20, No. 4
Quartet No. 26 in G minor, Op. 20, No. 3
Quartet No. 23 in F minor, Op. 20, No. 5
Quartet No. 25 in C, Op. 20, No. 2

Monday, June 29, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellows
ALL-SIBELIUS PROGRAM
The Swan of Tuonela
Tapiola
Symphony No. 2

Thursday, July 2 , 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Stephen Kovacevich, piano
J.S. BACH Partita No. 4 in D, BWV 828
SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, Op. 15
BEETHOVEN Variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120

Friday, July 3, 6:00 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 3, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 3, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Opening Night at Tanglewood
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
ALL-TCHAIKOVSKY PROGRAM
Symphony No. 6, Pathétique
Piano Concerto No. 1
Fireworks to follow the concert

Saturday, July 4, 7 p.m. Shed
Diana Krall
Fireworks to follow the concert

Sunday, July 5, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring
BRAHMS Violin Concerto

Sunday, July 5, 8:00 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Alexander Lonquich, piano**
BEETHOVEN The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Program 1
Sonata No. 1 in D, Op. 12, No. 1
Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 12, No. 2
Sonata No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 12, No. 3
Sonata No. 4 in A minor, Op. 23

Tuesday, July 7, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Ozawa Hall
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Alexander Lonquich, piano
BEETHOVEN The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Program 2
Sonata No. 5 in F, Op. 24, Spring
Sonata No. 6 in A, Op. 30, No. 1
Sonata No. 7 in C minor, Op. 30, No. 2

Thursday, July 9 8pm
Ozawa Hall
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Alexander Lonquich, piano
BEETHOVEN The Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano, Program 3
Sonata No. 8 in G, Op. 30, No. 3
Sonata No. 9 in A, Op. 47, Kreutzer
Sonata No. 10 in G, Op. 96

Friday, July 10, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 10, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 10, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
NIELSEN Helios Overture
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4

Saturday, July 11, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk
Saturday, July 11, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, July 11, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
James Morris, bass-baritone (Hans Sachs)
Johan Botha, tenor (Walter von Stolzing)
Hei-Kyung Hong, soprano (Eva)
Maria Zifchak, mezzo-soprano (Magdalene)**
Matthew Polenzani, tenor (David)
Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, baritone (Sixtus Beckmesser)**
Julien Robbins, bass-baritone (Veit Pogner)
Vocal Fellows of the Tanglewood Music Center (Mastersingers)
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
WAGNER Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Act III
Sung in German with English supertitles

Sunday, July 12, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
Joshua Bell, violin
BEETHOVEN Egmont Overture
BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8

Tuesday, July 14, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Le Concert des Nations**
Jordi Savall, director
Les Goûts Réunis
LULLY Suite from Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
BIBER Battalia à 10
CORELLI Concerto IV in D
HANDEL Concerto grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 6
SCARLATTI/AVISON Concerto IX in Seven Parts
BOCCHERINI La Musica notturna di Madrid

Wednesday, July 15, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Le Concert des Nations
Jordi Savall, director
F. Murray Abraham, actor**
Stage Music in the Plays of William Shakespeare
JOHNSON Jacobean Masque and Stage Music
LOCKE Music for The Tempest
PURCELL The Fairy Queen

Friday, July 17, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 17, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 17, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Leon Fleisher, piano
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K.488
MAHLER Symphony No. 6

Saturday, July 18, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, July 18, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, July 18, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Film Night at Tanglewood
Boston Pops Concert
John Williams, conductor
John Williams returns to lead the Boston Pops and special guests in his annual celebration of music from the movies. This year’s program is a tribute to the legacy of Warner Bros. Pictures and will include film and musical excerpts from some of the studio’s legendary movies, including selections from Mr. Williams' own scores for Superman and Harry Potter.

Sunday, July 19, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
ALL-MOZART PROGRAM
Symphony No. 39
Symphony No. 40
Symphony No. 41, Jupiter

Monday, July 20, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellows
Works for chamber orchestra

Wednesday, July 22, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Craig Rutenberg, piano
All-American program, to include songs by
IVES, GRIFFES, CARPENTER, and BARBER

Friday, July 24, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 24, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 24, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Steven Ansell, viola
BERLIOZ Le Corsaire Overture
BERLIOZ Harold in Italy, for viola and orchestra
MUSSORGSKY Prelude to Khovanshchina
MUSSORGSKY (orch. RAVEL) Pictures at an Exhibition

Saturday, July 25, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, July 25, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Saturday program

Saturday, July 25, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Soile Isokoski, soprano
Matthias Goerne, baritone
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
BRAHMS A German Requiem

Sunday, July 26, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
David Robertson, conductor
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Orli Shaham, piano
HARRIS Symphony No. 3
THOMSON Five Songs from William Blake
BARBER Songs with Orchestra
BERNSTEIN Symphony No. 2, The Age of Anxiety

Sunday, July 26, 7:30 p.m. Theatre
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows and Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Ira Siff, director
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
MOZART Don Giovanni
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Monday, July 27, 7:30 p.m. Theatre
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows and Orchestra
James Levine, conductor
Ira Siff, director
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
MOZART Don Giovanni
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Tuesday, July 28, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Tanglewood on Parade
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
James Levine, Keith Lockhart, John Williams,
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, and Leonard Slatkin, conductors
ROSSINI Overture to William Tell
ENESCU Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
BERNSTEIN Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
WILLIAMS Tributes: For Seiji
COPLAND A Lincoln Portrait
TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture
Fireworks to follow the concert

Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. Theatre
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellows and Orchestra
Tanglewood Music Center Conducting Fellow
Ira Siff, director
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
MOZART Don Giovanni
Sung in Italian with English supertitles

Thursday, July 30, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Sir James Galway, flute
Lady Jeanne Galway, flute
Phillip Moll, piano
Celebrating Sir James Galway’s 70th Birthday

Friday, July 31, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, July 31, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, July 31, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Vadim Repin, violin
BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto
DEBUSSY La Mer
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

Saturday, August 1, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk
Saturday, August 1, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program
Saturday, August 1, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Celebrating Sir James Galway’s 70th Birthday
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Sir James Galway, flute
Special Guests
DEBUSSY Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun
COPLAND Appalachian Spring (complete)
MOZART Overture to The Magic Flute
MOZART Flute Concerto No. 2
Plus musical surprises especially for the occasion

Sunday, August 2, 2:30 p.m. Shed
The Serge and Olga Koussevitzky Memorial Concert
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3
RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2

Monday, August 3, 8 p.m. Shed
Tanglewood Music Center Vocal and Conducting Fellows and Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Peter Serkin, piano
ALL-STRAVINSKY PROGRAM
Pulcinella (complete)
Concerto for Piano and Winds
Suite from The Firebird (1919 version)

Wednesday, August 5, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Thursday, August 6, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Mark Morris Dance Group
Tanglewood Music Center Fellows
Mark Morris, choreographer
Emanuel Ax, piano
Colin Jacobsen, violin
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
Martin Pakledinaz, costume designer
James F. Ingalls, lighting designer
New work (world premiere)
IVES Trio for piano, violin, and cello ‘A Lake’
HAYDN Horn Concerto No. 2
New work (world premiere)
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 4 in C for cello and piano, Op. 102, No. 1

Friday, August 7, 6 pm Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, August 7, 7:15 pm Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, August 7, 8:30 pm Shed
Boston Pops Orchestra
Keith Lockhart, conductor
Chris Botti, trumpet**

Friday, August 7 – Tuesday, August 11
Festival of Contemporary Music
Augusta Reed Thomas, director

Saturday, August 8, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Friday, August 8, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Friday, August 8, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, conductor
Laura Claycomb, soprano*
Lawrence Brownlee, tenor*
Markus Werba, baritone*
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
PROKOFIEV Symphony No. 1, Classical
ORFF Carmina burana

Sunday, August 9, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Julian Kuerti, conductor
Yo-Yo Ma, cello
PERLE Sinfonietta No. 2
SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No. 1
FAURÉ Elégie, for cello and orchestra
BIZET Symphony in C

Wednesday, August 12, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Boston Symphony Chamber Players
André Previn, piano
VILLA-LOBOS Quintette en forme de chôros, for wind quintet
PREVIN New work (2009)
BRAHMS Quintet in F minor for piano and strings, Op. 34

Friday, August 14, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Friday, August 14, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, August 14, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5

Saturday, August 15, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, August 15, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, August 15, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
André Previn, conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4
LISZT Piano Concerto No. 2
RAVEL La Valse

Sunday, August 16, 2:30 p.m. Shed
The Leonard Bernstein Memorial Concert
Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra
Kurt Masur, conductor
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
ALL-BRAHMS PROGRAM
Piano Concerto No. 2
Symphony No. 2

Sunday, August 16, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
André Previn, piano
David Finck, bass
André Previn and David Finck return to Ozawa Hall for an evening of jazz favorites.

Wednesday, August 19, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Thursday, August 20, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor and host
Pat Birch, director*
Judy Blazer, performer*
Neal Benari, performer *
Ronit Widmann-Levy, performer*
Eugene Brancoveanu, performer*
THOMAS The Thomashefskys: Music and Memories of a Life in the Yiddish Theater

Friday, August 21, 6 p.m. Ozawa Hall
Prelude Concert
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor

Friday, August 21, 7:15 p.m. Shed
This Week at Tanglewood
Panel discussion with moderator and guest artists

Friday, August 21, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Masur, conductor
David Fray, piano*
HAYDN Symphony No. 88
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, K.503
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1

Saturday, August 22, 9:30 a.m. Shed
Pre-Rehearsal Talk

Saturday, August 22, 10:30 a.m. Shed
Open Rehearsal, Sunday program

Saturday, August 22, 8:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Kurt Masur, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
ALL-MENDELSSOHN PROGRAM
The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) Overture
Violin Concerto
Symphony No. 4, Italian

Sunday, August 23, 2:30 p.m. Shed
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor
Erin Wall, soprano*
Kendall Gladen, mezzo-soprano*
Stuart Skelton, tenor**
Raymond Aceto, bass-baritone
Tanglewood Festival Chorus,
John Oliver, conductor
IVES Thanksgiving and Forefathers’ Day, for chorus and orchestra
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
*BSO debut
**Tanglewood debut

James Taylor and Friends
August 27 – 30

Thursday, August 27, 8 p.m. Ozawa Hall
The Band: Conversations Among Friends
James Taylor presides over an intimate and informal evening of conversation and performance with members of his legendary band

Friday, August 28, 7 p.m. Shed
Saturday, August 29, 7 p.m. Shed
James Taylor Concert
James Taylor and his band return to the Shed stage and are joined by special guests in two unforgettable evenings

Sunday, August 30, 2:30 p.m. Shed
James Taylor and the Boston Pops
Boston Pops
John Williams, conductor
James Taylor, soloist
Two Tanglewood favorites reunite in concert for the season finale

Kenji Jasper
Scribe
Words Lines and Phrases
Brooklyn, NY

At 33, Kenji Jasper can boast of a 18-year career in writing and journalism, which began when he published his first article as an intern for The Washington Informer newspaper at the age of 13. At 14, he became a contributor to Black Entertainment Television's YSB Magazine, and later worked as a writer/instructor at The Institute for the Preservation and Study of African American Writing. He also served as an on-air personality for WTTG Fox 5's Newsbag (1986-1987), and later as one of the founding cast members of Black Entertainment Television's Teen Summit (1989-1993). By the time he graduated from Morehouse College in 1997, his journalism had appeared in The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union Tribune, and The Atlanta Tribune .

But creative writing has always been his true love. He penned his first novel, "Dark" , at the age of 21. It has since been released in the United Kingdom and translated into French. It was later optioned to be made into a film by State Street Pictures(Soul Food, Barbershop, Roll Bounce) and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Mr. Jasper has contributed articles and essays to Newsweek, National Public Radio, The Village Voice, VIBE, The Charlotte Observer, The Chicago Sun-Times and Essence among many other publications. His first work of nonfiction, The House on Childress Street, was published in January of 2006. He is co-editor of Beats, Rhymes and Life, a collection of critical writings on hip hop culture and the novella, Snow, which was published by VIBE Books in 2007. 

He is also the CEO and Editor of The Armory, a publishing partnership with Akashic Books. It's mosrt recent release, Cake, by author D, was published in Summer 2008.   He is currently at work on Nightshift, the first novel in a three-part series and other screenwriting and client projects.