As reconstruction work drags on in the northeast, musicians and artists from overseas have continued to extend a helping hand to the victims of the 2011 quake and tsunami.

At some events, the aid goes beyond giving concerts or staging exhibitions. For example, when members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra visited Miyagi Prefecture in early November, they gave a music lesson to the local youth orchestra.

About 120 members of the junior orchestra practiced the ballet score "Sylvia" by French composer Leo Delibes.