Currently in his second season as Chief Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Paavo Järvi brings Japan’s leading ensemble on tour to Europe this Spring as a part of the orchestra’s 90th birthday celebrations with concerts at Berlin Philharmonie (28 February), Luxembourg Philharmonie (1 March), Paris Philharmonie (2 March), Amsterdam Concertgebouw (4 March), London Royal Festival Hall (6 March), Vienna Konzerthaus (7 March) and Köln Philharmonie (8 March). Featured repertoire includes Mahler Symphony No.6 “Tragische”, Shostakovch Symphony No.10, Toru Takemitsu’s Requiem for Strings (1957), Mozart Violin Concerto No.3 in G major K.216 and Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor. Joining them on stage is soloist Janine Jansen.

Coinciding with the tour, Sony is releasing Paavo Järvi’s first recording with the NHK Symphony Orchestra on the Red Seal Label – Richard Strauss’ tone poems Ein Heldenleben and Don Juan recorded live in concert from Suntory Hall in Tokyo.

“I am extremely excited about bringing the NHK Symphony Orchestra to Europe and also proud to “show off” these musicians because the orchestra is, in my opinion, one of the best ensembles I have ever had the pleasure to conduct” commented Paavo Järvi. “I personally got to know the quality of their playing quite some time ago. It is more than a decade since I conducted them for the first time and, without any exaggeration, there was an immediate sense of being taken aback. The first thing that won me over was their attitude, which is both creative and committed, and then there is the enormous discipline, virtuosity and preparation. Our relationship was allowed to develop very naturally over a period of time and it has definitely been one of the highlights of my life so far when I was asked to be their Chief Conductor. I feel that we have a very close musical relationship and for some reason, although it must be a rather unusual combination to have a Japanese orchestra and Estonian conductor, there must be something similar in our genes – because somehow there is a clarity in the way we communicate with each other which fits so naturally.”