Paavo Järvi Essentials

Paavo Järvi exudes quiet authority on the podium. With the experience of three positions on three continents under his belt, the Estonian conductor possesses an impressive versatility across a wide range of repertoire—which goes some way to explaining his popularity with his fellow musicians. The splendour of his Bruckner with Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich complements his universally acclaimed Beethoven cycle with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. There’s plenty of French suavity in his Ravel and Fauré with the Orchestre de Paris, while he drives the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra across the spikier terrains of Russian composers Shostakovich and Prokofiev. Järvi’s curiosity extends to the less familiar, too, including Hans Rott and Franz Schmidt, composers that Järvi has helped revive with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony. Järvi has also championed works by his friend and fellow Estonian Arvo Pärt and, with the Estonian Festival Orchestra that he founded in 2011, has shone a light on the country’s wider musical scene, introducing listeners to colourful scores by Tauno Aints and Jüri Reinvere.