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.