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Musicians receive a farewell wave from the Beijing presenters as the buses head to the airport for the flight to Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Passports and boarding passes are all neatly organized for travel from Beijing, China, to Seoul, South Korea. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Maybe a quick stop at the Lei Cafe for violinist Lei Hou?
| ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Trumpeter John Hagstrom picks out a last-minute gift in the duty-free shops at the Beijing airport. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, principal flute designate, and bass clarinet J. Lawrie Bloom await the flight to Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Principal Bassoon Keith Buncke gets in some last-minute WiFi use before the two-hour flight to Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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All aboard! Assistant Principal Flute Richard Graef enters the plane for the flight to Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Violinist So Young Bae gives some sightseeing advice on the bus ride from the airport to the CSO's hotel in Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Violinist Joyce Noh, a Seoul native and the first Asian woman to be hired for the CSO, talks to a South Korean television station crew. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Violist Dan Orbach gets some help from the hotel staff with directions around Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Shops in Insa-dong, a district in the heart of Seoul, sell many locally created arts and crafts. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Seoul's Gyeongbokgung Palace, famous for its ornate roof lines, was built in 1395. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Concertmaster Robert Chen catches the ceremonial changing of the Royal Guard at the Gyeongbokgung Palace. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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The final beating of the drum signals the end of the ceremonial changing of the Royal Guard at the Gyeongbokgung Palace. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Before the first concert in Korea, Seoul native Sunghee Choi (second on right) invited her fellow CSO violists to a traditional multi-course Korean dinner. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Off the orchestra's rotation for the night, violist Max Raimi enjoys a little "Max" beer with his dinner. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Susanna Gaunt of the horn section finds her place on stage before the first concert in Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Violinist Alison Dalton, whose vision is affected by a medical condition known as bull's-eye maculopathy, uses a magnified score to help her play. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Musicians lounge backstage during intermission of the first concert in Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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A vacant phone booth serves as a violin rest during intermission. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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Maestro Riccardo Muti conducts the CSO in the first movement of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 at the Seoul Performing Arts Center. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Riccardo Muti perform Mahler's First. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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While the CSO performs in the main hall, a string recital proceeds on the venue's smaller stage. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Riccardo Muti take their final bows after their first concert in Seoul. | ©Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016
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After flying from Beijing to Seoul on the CSO’s Asia Tour 2016, musicians used free time in the morning to check out the city’s historic attractions. Then it was on to the Seoul Performing Arts Center for the first of two concerts. Some musicians will return early to Chicago, since they’re not in the rotation for the tour’s concluding program.
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