It’s been a full year of celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of Paavo Järvi’s artistic directorship of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and international accolade for their first release of Haydn’s London Symphonies. It started appropriately in London with the prestigious 2023 Gramophone Award for “Orchestra of the Year” and came full circle in Berlin last weekend with Germany’s Opus Klassik Prize for 2024 “Orchestra of the Year”.

Now Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen are gearing up for more Haydn with the release of Volume 2 of the London Symphonies on RCA Red Seal in November (featuring nos. 94, 95, 98 and 99) and a behind the scenes TV documentary entitled The Haydn Expedition on Deutsche Welle in December.

Following their recordings on Alpha Classics of Bruckner’s Symphonies Nos.7 (Diapason d’Or) and 8 (awarded “best symphonic recording of the year” at the International Classical Music Awards), Paavo Jarvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich conclude their tribute to the Austrian composer in this bicentenary year with a recording of his 9th symphony.

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Germany’s Opus Klassik has announced the 2024 winners, naming The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen “Orchestra of the Year” for their recording of Haydn London Symphonies Nos 101 and 103 with Paavo Järvi.

The award ceremony takes place in Berlin in October exactly a year after DKAM was voted Gramophone Orchestra of the Year, coinciding with the 20th anniversary celebrations of Paavo Järvi’s Artistic Direction.

From 24 – 26 June Paavo Järvi will lead the seventh edition of the Ammodo Conducting Masterclass, sharing his knowledge and experience with four talented young conductors, who will each be given the opportunity to lead the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The selected candidates are Sebastián Almánzar (Colombia), Dayner Tafur-Diaz (Peru), Zofia Kiniorska (Poland), and Swann van Rechem (France). Each session will be streamed through concertgebouworkest.nl and the orchestra’s YouTube channel on the same day from 7 p.m.

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The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich has announced the programme for its sixth season with Paavo Järvi as Music Director, opening this autumn with three concerts introducing this year’s creative chair, Anna Thorvaldsdottir and the “primeval sonic landscape” of her 2022 orchestral work Archora, partnered with Stravinsky’s 1919 Firebird Suite and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, with soloist and season Focus Artist Víkingur Ólafsson (18, 19 & 20 September).

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In the lead up to this year’s Pärnu Music Festival, Alpha Classics releases Paavo Järvi’s latest album with the Estonian Festival Orchestra. Ship of Fools is dedicated to leading Estonian composer Jüri Reinvere, and three of his recent works, all of which were premiered in Pärnu by the Estonian Festival Orchestra and Järvi Chamber Academy.

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Paavo Järvi’s latest release of Mendelssohn with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich on Alpha Classics has been chosen as an Editor’s Choice in the latest issue of Gramophone, which describes the set as “marvellous … rich in tonal weight but wonderfully light in spirit too”.

The BBC Music Magazine also gives the recording a 5 star review, saying “This new release of Mendelssohn’s complete symphonies confirms the symbiotic relationship Järvi has forged with the orchestra, and is jam-packed with exciting, at times electrifying, music-making … Many rival versions of this music exist, but it’s difficult to think of any which surpass Järvi’s for insight, immediacy and sheer enjoyment.”

Listen to Paavo Järvi talk to Gramophone in the latest podcast here

10 – 19 JULY
The Pärnu Music Festival has always been about family and, in addition to concerts and masterclasses led by Paavo, Kristjan and Neeme Järvi, this year’s edition welcomes two families of Estonian composers and musicians, as well an extended family of international guests who flock to Pärnu each summer to be part of the annual reunion.

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The Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich’s new Mendelssohn recording with Paavo Järvi is released this month on Alpha Classics. The 4 CD box set, which comprises all five symphonies and the “Sommernachtstraum”, offers a unique insight into the orchestra’s work with Järvi over a two year period, which began mid-pandemic in the Spring of 2021 at the interim venue Tonhalle Maag and was completed in January 2023, in the splendidly renovated historic Tonhalle Zürich.

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Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich launched their Mahler cycle this month with three performances of Mahler Symphony No. 5. The project, which will be a major focus over the next five years, is being recorded by Alpha Classics with the first release appearing in Spring 2025.

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