HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAAVO!

Paavo Järvi celebrates his 60th birthday today 30 December in concert with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. The celebrations continue in Tallinn on 1 January with a concert broadcast nationally on Estonian TV, followed by a multitude of highlights to look forward to in 2023.

With Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Paavo Järvi continues his fourth season as Music Director with two weeks of concerts in January, followed by a tour to Vienna, Luxembourg, Paris and Basel. Also in January, Alpha Classics releases their new recording of Bruckner Symphony No. 7 – the first in a series of Bruckner recordings over the next two years. Further highlights of the season with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich – which recently announced a contract extension with Paavo to July 2029 – include a March collaboration with Opernhaus Zürich and a new semi-staging of Fidelio in June.

This Spring Paavo reunites with his other family of musicians – The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen – where he has been Artistic Director since 2004. Highlights include the next instalment of their Haydn ‘London Symphonies’ project with a tour of Germany and Italy in May and the release of Haydn, Volume 1 on RCA Red Seal.

Throughout the year Paavo Järvi will also conduct many of the orchestras he has long enjoyed a close relationship with – including the Concertgebouworkest, Berliner Philharmoniker, Münchner Philharmoniker, Orchestre de Paris, London Philharmonia, New York Philharmonic and NHK Symphony Orchestra, where he is now Conductor Laureate.

Musicians from many of the above orchestras and more will join Paavo in July at the Pärnu Music Festival for the highly anticipated Estonian Festival Orchestra performances – where celebrating music together as a global family has become an annual tradition.

Happy Birthday Paavo and full speed ahead!

Video editing: Sha Katsouris

ESTONIAN PREMIERES CHOSEN AS GRAMOPHONE EDITOR’S CHOICE – “FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF THE YEAR”

In Gramophone Magazine’s traditional end of year round, Paavo Järvi and the the EFO’s recording of Estonian Premieres has been chosen by Editor in Chief, James Jolly, as one of his favourite albums of the year.

“What all the works on this album share is a wonderful way of colouring with the orchestra” says James Jolly on the Gramophone podcast. “There are some absolutely gorgeous sounds … It also shows off Paavo’s orchestra. This is one of those orchestras that comes together once a year and there are players from the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and the Berliner Philharmoniker. It’s really a super orchestra and they play gloriously …”

Listen to the full Editor’s Choice podcast here

PAAVO JÄRVI EXTENDS CONTRACT WITH TONHALLE-ORCHESTER ZÜRICH TO 2029

The Tonhalle-Gesellschaft Zürich AG has announced a five year contract extension with Music Director Paavo Järvi, who will now lead the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich until July 2029 at home in the recently renovated, iconic Tonhalle and on tour internationally.

“I am honored and excited to continue my work with the wonderful musicians of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich” said Paavo Järvi. “I am very committed to the orchestra and its future, and feel privileged to work with such a great team, both on stage and behind the scenes.”

(more…)