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The tour, which kicks off in Los Angeles and ends in New York, features a program drawing from various sections of the orchestra's wide repertoire in different cities. Among the composers represented will be Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Dvoršk, Chopin and Brahms.

Performance dates are as follows:

Los Angeles (Feb. 17)
Walt Disney Concert Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven - 5. Konzert f‹r Klavier und Orchester
Ludwig van Beethoven - 7. Sinfonie
Louis Lortie, Klavier

Palm Desert (Feb. 18)
Mc Callum Theatre

Ludwig van Beethoven - Ouvert‹re zu der Oper "Leonore"
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Konzert f‹r Violine und Orchester
Johannes Brahms - 2. Sinfonie
Nikolaj Znaider; Violine

	Nikolaj Znajder
	photo by George Lange

Costa Mesa (Feb. 19)
Orange County Performing Art Centre

Ludwig van Beethoven - Ouvert‹re zu der Oper "Leonore"
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Konzert f‹r Violine und Orchester
Anton‹n Dvoršk - 9. Sinfonie ("New World)
Nikolaj Znaider; Violine

San Francisco (Feb. 21)
SF Symphony Hall

Fryderyk Chopin - 1. Konzert f‹r Klavier und Orchester
Anton‹n Dvoršk - 9. Sinfonie ("New World")
Louis Lortie, Klavier

San Francisco (Feb. 22)
SF Symphony Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven - 5. Konzert f‹r Klavier und Orchester
Ludwig van Beethoven - 7. Sinfonie
Louis Lortie, Klavier

Boston (Feb. 25)
Symphony Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven - 5. Konzert f‹r Klavier und Orchester
Ludwig van Beethoven - 7. Sinfonie
Louis Lortie, Klavier

Newark (Feb. 26)
New Jersey Performing Arts Centre

Ludwig van Beethoven - 5. Konzert f‹r Klavier und Orchester
Ludwig van Beethoven - 7. Sinfonie
Louis Lortie, Klavier

	Louis Lortie

New York (Feb. 27)
Carnegie Hall

Ludwig van Beethoven - Ouvert‹re zu der Oper "Leonore"
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Konzert f‹r Violine und Orchester
Anton‹n Dvoršk - 9. Sinfonie ("New World")
Nikolaj Znaider; Violine

New York (Feb. 28)
Carnegie Hall

Fryderyk Chopin - 1. Konzert f‹r Klavier und Orchester
Johannes Brahms - 2. Sinfonie
Louis Lortie, Klavier

Visit www.gewandhaus.de for tickets and information.

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The Gewandhaus Orchestra has toured the USA and Canada for 33 years; to date the orchestra has played 229 concerts in the USA alone. The first US tour took place in 1974. In 1987 the orchestra embarked on the most spectacular tour in its history _ 15 concerts in Japan, followed immediately by another 13 concerts in the USA.

During its previous US tours the Gewandhaus Orchestra has performed more often on the East Coast than the West Coast, with only four appearances in Los Angeles. Kurt Masur conducted two concerts there in both 1992 and 1991. Palm Desert was on the itinerary for the first time during the West Coast tour in 1991 and again, with Herbert Blomstedt, in 2001. The orchestra has been an infrequent guest in San Francisco thus far. Kurt Masur conducted only three concerts in the Bay City (1987, 1991) and Herbert Blomstedt, one, in 2001.

The orchestra made its debut in Boston during its first USA tour in 1974, followed by seven further appearances under Kurt Masur until 1993. Boston then disappeared from the orchestra's itinerary for 14 years, until Riccardo Chailly conducted a concert in the Massachusetts capital in 2007. The Gewandhaus Orchestra performed for the first time in Newark, which is situated near New York City, under Herbert Blomstedt in 2004, with a second appearance under Riccardo Chailly in 2007.

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Gwandhaus Orchestra, under Riccardo Chailly, will release three Bach CD's on the Decca label in 2010. With his dedication to Bach, Chailly continues the Leipzig Gewandhaus Kapellmeisters' tradition, dating back to Mendelssohn, of preserving Bach's heritage, while breaking with his predecessors' practice of not conducting the Christmas Oratorio.

The Gewandhaus Orchestra was founded during Bach's lifetime. For centuries, it was the mainstay of the Bach tradition in Leipzig, together with the St. Thomas's Boys Choir and its music director.

Brandenburg Concertos is slated for a January release, with St. Matthew Passion coming mid-year and Christmas Oratorio at the end of 2010.