AKIPRESS.COM - Japanese conductor Eiji Oue will lead the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra on an international tour this month to celebrate its 103rd anniversary, Asia News Network reported today.

Eiji Oue turned down the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra 10 years ago, but has agreed to lead it on an international tour this month to celebrate the anniversary.

The Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra will rehearse Mahler's Symphony No. 5 with conservatory students tomorrow at the Conservatory Concert Hall.

The orchestra often pays the bills by accompanying performances of Western opera and is also the first choice to accompany world-class singers such as Placido Domingo when they visit Japan.

Established in 1911 in Nagoya, the orchestra's centennial celebration was derailed by the catastrophic tsunami and earthquake which rocked Japan in March, 2011. The celebratory tour this year is its biggest in over a decade and includes concerts in Paris, London, New York, Madrid and Bangkok.