Andris Nelsons and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig embark on a tour through Asia this month. Beginning in Spain, the ensemble will then travel to Tokyo, Japan, and China over the course of 11 concerts. The tour will feature star soloists: baritone Thomas Hampson and violinist Baiba Skride. Concert dates include May 22 & 23 at the Auditorio Nacional de Música; May 27 at the Tōkyō Bunka Kaikan; May 28 & 30 at Suntory Hall; June 1 at Hyogo Perform. Arts Center; June 2 at the Symphony Hall; June 4 at Shanghai Oriental Art Center; June 6 at Guangzhou Opera House; concluding on June 8 & 9 at National Perform. Arts Center.

Ms. Skride will perform Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1. At the time it was written, Shostakovich had become increasingly interested in baroque musical forms. He wrote his violin concerto in four movements organized slow-fast-slow-fast instead of the usual three-movement pattern, fast-slow-fast. Mr. Hampson will perform one of his signature works, Mahler’s Des Knaben Wunderhorn. The inspiration for Des Knaben Wunderhorn (The Youth’s Magic Horn) was a three-volume collection of “folk songs” by that name published by Romantic poets Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano between 1805 and 1808, which enjoyed widespread popularity in the 19^th century. Also on tour, Nelsons will lead the Gewandhausorchester in Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony, and Brahms’ Symphony First Symphony.