Paavo Järvi

Paavo Järvi
Järvi in 2013
Järvi in 2013
Background information
Born (1962-12-30) 30 December 1962
Tallinn, then part of Estonian SSR, Soviet Union
GenresClassical, contemporary
OccupationConductor
Websitepaavojarvi.com

Paavo Järvi (Estonian pronunciation: [ˈpɑːʋo ˈjærʋi]; born 30 December 1962) is an Estonian and American conductor. He currently serves as Chief Conductor and music director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and as founder and artistic director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra. In March 2026 he was announced as the next Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from the 2028/29 season[1].

Early life

Järvi was born in Tallinn on 30 December 1962, Estonia[2] to Liilia Järvi and the Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi.[3] His siblings, Kristjan Järvi and Maarika Järvi, are also musicians.[3] After leaving Estonia in 1980, the family settled in the United States.[3] Järvi studied privately with Leonid Grin in Philadelphia,[4] at the Curtis Institute of Music with Max Rudolf[5] and Otto-Werner Mueller, and at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute with Leonard Bernstein.[6]

Career

From 1994 to 1997, Järvi was principal conductor of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra.[7] From 1995 to 1998, he shared the title of principal guest conductor of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra with Andrew Davis.[8] From 2001 to 2011 he was music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and subsequently named Music Director Laureate.[8][9]

Since 2004, Järvi has been the artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen[10] and an artistic advisor to the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.[11] In 2006, he became the chief conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, and served in the post until 2014, following which he was named Conductor Laureate.[12] In 2010, he became music director of the Orchestre de Paris,[13] concluding his tenure in 2016, the same year in which he was named Artist of the Year by both Gramophone and Diapason magazines.[14]

Järvi is the founder and artistic director of both the Pärnu Music Festival[15] and Estonian Festival Orchestra.[16] Launched in 2011, the festival is recognised as Estonia's leading classical music event, with 10 days of concerts every July on the Baltic coast. In addition to festival performances, Paavo Järvi regularly leads the Estonian Festival Orchestra on tour in Europe and Asia. In 2025, the orchestra made its New York debut, headlining Carnegie Hall's 90th birthday tribute to Arvo Pärt.[17]

In June 2012, the NHK Symphony Orchestra appointed Järvi its chief conductor from the 2015–2016 season. Järvi held the post through August 2022, after which he was named Honorary Conductor.[18][19]

Järvi first guest-conducted the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in 2009, and returned in December 2016.[20] He commenced his tenure as the orchestra's chief conductor and music director in September 2019. In 2022, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich extended his contract through the 2028–2029 season.[21]

In March 2026, the London Philharmonic Orchestra announced the appointment of Järvi as its next chief conductor and artistic advisor, effective with the 2028–2029 season, with an initial contract of five seasons.[22]

Järvi has recorded for such labels as Alpha Classics, RCA, Deutsche Grammophon, PENTATONE, Telarc, ECM, BIS and Virgin Records. His Virgin Classics recording of Sibelius Cantatas with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Male Choir and Ellerhein Girls Choir won a Grammy Award for "Best Choral Performance".[23]

Personal life

Järvi has two daughters from his past marriage to the violinist Tatiana Berman.[24] Järvi was featured in the documentary Maestro, directed by David Donnelly.[25] He obtained American citizenship in 1985.[5]

Discography

Studio albums

Year Album details
2005 Schumann: Cello Concerto; Bloch: Schelomo; Bruch: Kol Nidrei
2007 Tüür: Magma
  • Release date: 6 August 2007
  • Label: Virgin Classics
2009 Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 6 & 2
2015 Rachmaninoff: Symphonie No. 3; Caprice Bohémien; Danses Symphoniques; Le Rocher; Vocalise

Awards

  • 2002: Award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment for the Performing Arts (outstanding performances of Estonian music abroad)
  • 2004: Grammy Awards[23]
  • 2012: Hindemith Prize of the City of Hanau[26]
  • 2012: Estonian Radio – Musician of the Year
  • 2012: Commandeur de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres[27]
  • 2012: Award of the Estonian Cultural Endowment for the Performing Arts (for organizing the Järvi Festival and the spectacular introduction of Estonian music on world stages)
  • 2013: Order of the White Star, Estonia[28]
  • 2015: Sibelius Medal[29]
  • 2017: Estonian Music Council Music Award (for keeping Estonian music on the world map as a top conductor)
  • 2019: Echo Klassik German major classical music award in the category "Conductor of the Year" for his recording of all of Jean Sibelius' symphonies with l'Orchestre de Paris[30]
  • 2024: Postimees Award for Cultural Mover for bringing Estonian music to the world, launching the Estonian Festival Orchestra and making it influential
  • 2024: International Classical Music Award (ICMA) for the best symphonic music recording of the year (to Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle Symphony Orchestra of Zurich for their recording of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 8)[31]
  • 2026: Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon[32][33]

References

  1. ↑ Tilden, Imogen (3 March 2026). "Paavo Järvi to succeed Edward Gardner at helm of London Philharmonic" – via The Guardian.
  2. ↑ Predota, Georg (29 December 2024). "Happy Birthday to maestro Paavo Järvi!". Interlude. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Berzins, Christian (26 October 2022). "Paavo Järvis Mutter über ihren Sohn". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Teachers". Pärnu Music Festival. 18 February 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Classical Music Journalism by Mary Ellyn Hutton (news_2002)". Paavo Järvi: Coming to America: Music in Cincinnati. 21 March 2002. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "Paavo Järvi". Klassik Radio (in German). 13 June 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "MGG Online". MGG Online. 16 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  8. 1 2 "Paavo Järvi". Lucerne Festival (in German). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Paavo Järvi – Music Director". Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "Paavo Järvi / Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen". Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Paavo Järvi". Verbier Festival. 15 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Chefdirigent 2006–2013: Paavo Järvi". hr-sinfonieorchester.de (in German). 28 April 2017. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Matthew Westphal (31 May 2007). "Paavo Järvi to Succeed Christoph Eschenbach at Helm of Orchestre de Paris". Playbill Arts. Retrieved 31 May 2007.
  14. ↑ Loomis, George (28 August 2014). "France's New Music Temple". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "History". Pärnu Music Festival. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "Our Founder: Paavo Järvi". Estonian Festival Orchestra. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "About Us". Estonian Festival Orchestra. 7 January 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  18. ↑ Hall, Alexander (4 December 2019). "Myths and misunderstandings: Paavo Järvi and the NHK Symphony". Bachtrack. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "Paavo Järvi". Die Münchner Philharmoniker. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "Neuer Chefdirigent und Künstlerischer Leiter des Tonhalle-Orchesters Zürich ab 2019/20" (PDF) (Press release). Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. 30 May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  21. ↑ "Die Reise geht weiter bis 2029" (Press release). Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  22. ↑ "Paavo Järvi announced to succeed Edward Gardner at the helm of the London Philharmonic Orchestra from the 2028/29 season" (Press release). London Philharmonic Orchestra. 3 March 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Paavo Järvi". GRAMMY.com. 29 January 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  24. ↑ Arenstein, Anne (11 October 2011). "Combining Artistic Energies: The Constella Festival". City Beat. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  25. ↑ Mae, Reet. "Maestro". EstDocs. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  26. ↑ "Hindemith-Preis der Stadt Hanau". Startseite Hanau (in German). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  27. ↑ Francq, Isabelle (15 November 2012). "Paavo Järvi nommé commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres". La Vie.fr (in French). Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  28. ↑ "Paavo Järvi". Pärnu Music Festival. 8 July 2023. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  29. ↑ "Sibelius Medal awarded to Paavo Järvi". Sibelius One. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "Paavo Järvi alustas tööd Zürichi Tonhalle orkestri peadirigendina". 8 October 2019.
  31. ↑ "Paavo Järvi pälvis rahvusvahelise klassikalise muusika auhinna". 19 January 2024.
  32. ↑ 令和８年春の外国人叙勲　旭日在外 (Spring 2026 Imperial Decorations for Foreigners: The Rising Sun, Overseas)
  33. ↑ "Maestro Paavo Järvi, Honorary Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon". Embassy of Japan in Estonia. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
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