BOSTON: The Boston Symphony Orchestra is embarking on a four-city tour of Japan next month, for its first overseas engagements since before the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of cultural events around the world.

The orchestra is scheduled to perform at Yokohama’s Minato Mirai Hall on Nov. 9; Kyoto’s Concert Hall on Nov. 10; Osaka’s Festival Hall on Nov. 11; and Tokyo’s Suntory Hall on Nov. 13, 14 and 15.

“The last few years have taught us to be especially grateful for the gifts of our lives,” Boston Symphony Orchestra music director Andris Nelsons said in a statement Wednesday. “This is how we feel about returning to Japan, where we will passionately share our music while expressing our deep appreciation for the people and culture of this great country.”

The tour repertoire will include Mahler’s Symphony No. 6; Mozart’s Symphony No. 40; Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5; Strauss’ “Alpine Symphony”; and Caroline Shaw’s “Punctum.”

The orchestra will be joined by Mitsuko Ushida on piano in Osaka and Tokyo.

The stops in Yokohama and Kyoto are the orchestra’s first visits to those cities since the late 1980s.

The trip to Japan is the BSO’s 29th international tour in the orchestra history.

The orchestra’s last overseas tour was an eight-city European trip in September 2018.

Tours to Asia (Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) scheduled for February 2020 and to Europe (Vienna, Leipzig, Hamburg and Paris) scheduled for May 2022 were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AP