The National Symphony Orchestra announced Tuesday that it is dropping the scheduled China concert dates from its upcoming Asian tour due to health concerns about the Wuhan coronavirus.

The March tour—the orchestra’s first international trip with music director Gianandrea Noseda—was to include two concerts at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and one at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center with Chinese pianist Haochen Zhang, the co-Gold Medal winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. 

Due to U.S. State Department travel restrictions and the cancellation of flights to and from China related to the coronavirus, the tour itinerary has been shortened to only include the slated concerts in Japan. 

This follows the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s announcement last week that it was cancelling its February Asian tour due to health concerns and travel restrictions in the wake of the rapidly spreading virus.

The remaining five dates in Tokyo, Hiroshima, Fukui, and Sakai will go on as scheduled March 3-12. 

Leave a Comment

Name (required):

Email (will not be published) (required):

Website:

Message:

Δ