Article updated January 31, 2020 by Dave Read
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has canceled its trip to Asia that was on their February schedule because of the virus emanating from China. The trip would have been the 29th since the organization was founded in 1881. Earlier international tours by the BSO that resulted in cancellations include the 1960 Asia-Australasia tour when “political unrest” led the BSO to call off an appearance in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1999 tour when the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia caused them to cancel concerts in Beijing.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Boston Symphony Orchestra and Gewandhausorchester Leipzig
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Olivier Latry, organ
John Ferrillo, oboe
Richard Svoboda, bassoon
Frank-Michael Erben, violin
Christian Giger, cello
Here’s an excerpt from the BSO marketing department:
“The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s four-city tour to East Asia (Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) with Andris Nelsons, February 6–16, has been canceled due to increasing concerns over widely documented official news and government agency reports assessing the spread of the new coronavirus. These concerns, along with discussions with the Shanghai Oriental Art Center—whose leadership informed the BSO about the official cancellations of their upcoming performances—followed by consultations with the tour’s presenters in Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong, combined to play an influential role in the cancellation of the BSO’s East Asia tour.”
These are the concerts that have been canceled:
Thursday, February 6
Seoul Arts Center
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Friday, February 7
Seoul Arts Center
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARBER Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
DVO?ÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World
Sunday, February 9
Taipei, National Concert Hall
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARBER Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
DVO?ÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World
Monday, February 10
Taipei, National Concert Hall
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Wednesday, February 12
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Thursday, February 13
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARBER Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
DVO?ÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World
Saturday, February 15
Shanghai Oriental Art Center
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K.491
RAVEL Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2
Sunday, February 16
Shanghai Oriental Art Center
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Andris Nelsons, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARBER Medea’s Meditation and Dance of Vengeance
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4
DVO?ÁK Symphony No. 9, From the New World
BSO under Seiji Ozawa rock China with Stars and Stripes Forever in 1979
Their 1979 trip to the People’s Republic of China, with Seiji Ozawa on the podium, produced one of the most improbable and flat-out awesome musical mashups of all time – America’s most exciting patriotic march, The Stars and Stripes Forever, given a most convincing reading in Beijing.
CDC coronavirus report
Here is an external link to a January 27, 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: CDC coronavirus report.
Hotels in the Berkshires
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2020 Tanglewood tickets
Tickets for the James Taylor concert on July 4 go on sale Monday, February 3, at 10 a.m.
Tickets for all other Tanglewood 2020 season concerts, including all other Popular Artist concerts, go on sale on Sunday, February 9, at 10 a.m.
BSO.org is the only official source for purchasing tickets to Tanglewood performances and events. If you do not see BSO.org in the address bar when viewing the performance schedule and purchasing tickets, please close your browser and visit www.BSO.org. Tickets are also available via SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200.