One of the challenges of being a touring classical soloist is the occasional jet lag triggered by dashing across time zones. Pianist Louis Lortie is dealing with this situation more often than usual this season, because he is artist-in-residence with the Shanghai Symphony, a post that requires him to travel four times around the globe from his residences in Italy and Germany.

“You try to adjust as quickly as you can, and you never know what is going to happen exactly,” said Lortie, who opens the 2017-18 season of the Symphony Center Presents Piano Series with his recital on Oct. 8. “Of course, it’s a problem, especially if you have to play very quickly in another time zone. But it all depends what time the concert is according to the previous time [zone]. You learn some tricks, and you cope with it.”

Lortie thinks coping might be easier for conductors, because they can more readily camouflage their fatigue. “But if you play an instrument,” he said, “it shows immediately if the nerves and muscles are not 100 percent up to it.”

The demands of travel won’t be an issue, though, when Lortie journeys to Chicago. He notes that he’ll more than enough time to get to the United States and relax, because he has no concerts on his schedule during the previous four days.

TOP: Louis Lortie opens this season’s SCP Piano Series with his recital on Oct. 8. | Photo: Seldy Cramer Artists