As Japan prepares for Paavo Järvi’s inauguration as Chief Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, billboards across Tokyo herald his arrival and Record Geijutsu features him as “Artist of the Month” in their October cover issue.

Paavo’s first concert in Tokyo is on October 3rd when he will lead the NHK Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection.”

His first recording with the orchestra of works by Richard Strauss has just been released by Sony Japan.

Tonight, at the Gramophone Magazine’s annual awards ceremony Editor-in-Chief, James Jolly, announced that Paavo Järvi has been voted by the public as Artist of the Year stating “One of the most sought-after conductors of today, and one of the most recorded, Paavo Järvi continues the family tradition. An interpreter of imagination who brings something fresh to everything he tackles, he is a musician well worth listening to.”

Receiving the award in London, Paavo Järvi commented ”When I am in the recording studio all thought is of the “here” and “now” – the music and the musicians.  It’s easy to forget that the audience is as important a part of the whole experience because they will be the ones who decide whether your recording should stand the test of time … or not! So from now on I shall go into the studio reminding myself of the music, the musicians and audiences around the world who voted for me to receive this award. Its a humbling thought to be chosen as Gramophone’s Artist of the Year and I am hugely proud to be standing here today to receive this.”

Last week Paavo Järvi was presented the Sibelius Medal by Finland’s Ambassador during the opening concert of the Orchestre de Paris’s season at the Philharmonie – his final season with them as Music Director – and the previous week it was announced that their recording of Dutilleux was voted best recording of contemporary orchestral music by Germany’s ECHO Klassik Prize. 

The governors of the Sibelius Society have elected to award the prestigious Sibelius Medal to the Estonian Paavo Järvi, Musical Director and Chief Conductor of the Orchestre de Paris.

The Sibelius Medal will be presented to Paavo Järvi in Paris by the Finnish Ambassador to France, Mr. Risto Piipponen, at the opening concert of the new season of the Orchestre de Paris on September 9^th, on which occasion the orchestra will perform Sibelius Symphony no. 5, conducted by Paavo Järvi.

On dedicating the medal, the Sibelius Society commented “Paavo Järvi has promoted the music of Sibelius with great talent in concerts which he has conducted throughout the world and particularly in France. With his passion and drive he is making history by recording the complete Sibelius symphony cycle with the Orchestre de Paris – a project so far never undertaken by any other French orchestra. His existing discography includes important Sibelius recordings which have gained international critical acclaim, including the release of the Cantatas with the National Estonian Orchestra and Estonian choirs on Erato which received a Grammy Award.”

This is the second time the Sibelius Medal is awarded to a conductor this year which celebrates the 150^thanniversary of the composer’s birth. Sir Simon Rattle, chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, received the medal in May in Berlin.