Estonian Festival Orchestra
It all began in 2011, where our world renowned conductor Paavo Järvi decided to create a new kind of orchestra – one which would bring together hand-picked top international classical musicians with emerging talent from Estonia.

Since our start we’ve been busy. We are the resident orchestra at the Pärnu Music Festival, where we welcome thousands of visitors each year, providing a cultural experience that is unique to the area. We are also partnered with the Järvi Music Academy, offering young musicians the opportunity to perform and make friends with the very best of the industry. We also tour the world’s capital cities – most recently with back-to-back performances across Europe and Asia, partnered by critically acclaimed soloists.

Talent, energy and innovation is our shared philosophy. Our music connects internationally-renowned performers with emerging talent from Estonia. High-level music making is at the heart of what we do.

“An important component in creating the orchestra was to​‘match-make’ the players in a professional way but within the festival atmosphere” says Järvi. ​“This unifying spirit is what drives the orchestra and makes me particularly proud as its father figure.”

Before August 2017 the Estonian Festival Orchestra had performed only in Pärnu, but within less than two years they have made four tours including performances in neighbouring countries around the Baltic coast and at Scandinavia’s most prominent festivals, a major European tour celebrating Estonia100, BBC Proms and Hamburg Elbphilharmonie debuts and an extensive tour of Japan.

For Paavo Järvi, the creation of the Estonian Festival Orchestra is potentially one of his most important musical achievements to date – a recognition of his native country and a celebration of its cultural identity within Europe.

Paavo Järvi
Estonian Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi is widely recognised as the musicians’ musician, enjoying close partnerships with the finest orchestras around the world. He serves as Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Director of Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Estonian Festival Orchestra, of which he is also Founder. He is Conductor Laureate of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Music Director Laureate of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Advisor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

In October 2019, Järvi officially begins his tenure as Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, following a season as conductor designate. With a focus on his Nordic roots, he opens the season with Sibelius’ Kullervo and invites Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür as Creative Chair. Throughout the year Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich also perform and record the complete cycle of Tchaikovsky symphonies, for release in 2021.

Paavo Järvi opens his fifth season as Chief Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra with Beethoven’s Fidelio and brings the orchestra back to Europe for their second major tour together, in programmes featuring Takemitsu, Schumann, Beethoven and Bruckner, with performances in Tallinn, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Cologne, Dortmund, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Celebrating 15 years as Artistic Director of Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, he returns to the repertoire that first made their collaboration famous, with a full cycle of Beethoven symphonies in Frankfurt in April 2020. They also continue their exploration of Brahms and embark on a new composer focus – Haydn’s ​‘London’ symphonies.

Having started out as resident summer ensemble at the annual Pärnu Music Festival, which was also founded by Järvi, the Estonian Festival Orchestra has stormed the international music scene, making debuts throughout Europe and Japan. In 2019/20, Alpha Classics releases their second album, dedicated to the music of Erkki-Sven Tüür, in celebration of the composer’s 60th birthday and of the Festival’s 10th anniversary.

In addition to his permanent positions, Järvi is in demand as a guest conductor, appearing regularly with the Berliner Philharmoniker, London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Staatskapelle Berlin, Münchner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden and Leipzig Gewandhaus. Highlights of his guest engagements include the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Wiener Philharmoniker and NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester. This season, he returns to the Orchestre de Paris, Luxembourg Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestra.

Paavo Järvi’s upcoming projects include his first recording with the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich, featuring orchestral music by Messiaen, to be released on Alpha Classics in October, coinciding with his inauguration as Music Director. Two new recordings featuring Mahler and Wagner with the NHK Symphony Orchestra will be released internationally on the RCA Red Seal Label to accompany their European tour in February 2020. Alpha Classics will also release the Estonian Festival Orchestra’s second recording, celebrating Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür with live recordings of works performed at the Pärnu Music Festival.