With the good news that the Pärnu Music Festival will go ahead with its 10th anniversary celebrations follows the even better news that 20 international members of the Estonian Festival Orchestra will be able to travel to Pärnu next month to be reunited with their Estonian colleagues for 8 days of sunny music-making on the Baltic coast and a focus on both young and established Estonian talent.

“When I sat down and started to think about how to re-programme this year’s festival given all the limitations that needed to be taken into account, I realized that it gave us an opportunity to celebrate just how far we have come in our first 10 years of summers in Pärnu” says Paavo Järvi. “At the beginning my goal was to nurture Estonian talent by bringing in as many international artists as possible, so that young Estonian musicians would have the chance to play with top colleagues from around the world and develop their musical careers. Now I realise that our goal has actually been achieved and we have top class Estonian talent welcoming back their colleagues, for genuine musical reunions.”

This year’s programme presents three Estonian soloists – Kalle and Kristjan Randalu (piano), Triin Ruubel (violin) and Theodor Sink (cello) who perform in addition to guest international soloists Olli Mustonen (piano), Alena Baeva (violin) and Stefan Dohr (horn).

Featured composers Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Jüri Reinvere, and Tõnu Kõrvits all have strong links with the Festival. Arvo Pärt has visited Pärnu regularly for performances of his works; three of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s compositions were the focus of the Estonian Festival Orchestra’s latest CD, Mythos; Jüri Reinvere’s orchestral work And Tired from Happiness .. they started to Dance and Concerto for two Flutes were both premiered at the festival; and Tõnu Kõrvits was presented with the Lepo Sumera Award on the last night of the festival in 2018.

All of the main 8 events of this year’s Pärnu Music Festival will be performed with reduced audience and streamed live on the festival website. The Järvi Academy masterclasses will also be streamed live so that young conductors who are unable to travel can still participate.

The Pärnu Music Festival Programme

The NHK Symphony Orchestra has been nominated for Orchestra of the Year Award by the prestigious Gramophone Magazine. It is the only award decided on by public vote so now is the time to cast your vote for Paavo Järvi and the elite Tokyo ensemble.

Voting opens at noon on Friday, June 12 and remains live until 8am (London time) on Monday, September 7. Votes can be cast on Gramophone’s website – www.gramophone.co.uk/awards. The Orchestra of the Year will be revealed on October 6 at the 2020 Gramophone Classical Music Awards.

James Jolly, Editor-in-Chief of Gramophone says ‘This is not a poll to find the “best orchestra in the world”, but rather to shine the spotlight on an orchestra that consistently offers high- quality music-making that is exciting, moving and which demonstrates what a fine ensemble working at the peak of its powers can achieve. Many of these orchestras also highlight the indefinable and unique magic that happens between an inspiring conductor and his or her players. And with the majority of orchestras now silent, we hope this will focus attention on one of the glories of music-making on a grand scale. Just listen and be impressed!’

Gramophone has created 11 Apple Music playlists – one for each ensemble, as well as a dynamic playlist that will be updated throughout the summer, exclusively available to listen to on Apple Music. Listen HERE. To support the voting process, Gramophone will be hosting an Orchestra of the Year Online Festival for 10 days from July 24 featuring 10 filmed evening concerts from each of the nominated ensembles in a programme that reflects its individual style and character.

Paavo Järvi returns to Switzerland this month to conduct the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in four programmes spread over twelve short concerts on the stage of the Tonhalle Maag.

Following government regulations, the orchestra will perform as an ensemble of between 30 and 40 musicians and the audience will be limited to 240 per concert. The programmes on 25 and 26 June will be filmed for later streaming on the orchestra’s website.

“These concerts will be a special experience for all of us,” says Paavo Järvi, “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be able to come back to Zurich and start making music with our wonderful Orchestra!”

19 June at 12:15, 18:30 and 20:30
Sibelius: «Rakastava» (The Lover), Op.14 for strings, percussion and triangle
Dvořák: Serenade for Strings in E major, Op.22

20 June at 12:15, 18:30 and 20:30
Richard Strauss: Serenade in E-flat major for Wind Ensemble, Op.7
Dvořák: Serenade in D minor for Wind Instruments, Op.44

25 June at 12:15, 18:30 and 20:30
Dukas: Fanfare for «La Péri»
Stravinsky: Concerto in E-flat major “Dumbarton Oaks”
Richard Strauss: «Le bourgeois gentilhomme» Orchestral Suite, Op.6

26 June at 18:30 and 20:30
Lutosławski: «Musique funèbre» für String Orchestra
Honegger: Symphony No.2

Advance tickets sales begin on June 10th at 11:00 a.m.:
Tickets are available at a unit price of CHF 45.

More details to be found at www.tonhalle-orchester.ch