Conducting

This year, the conducting masterclasses will take place in Tallinn and Pärnu from 4 July to 15 July 2026. At the same time, Pärnu will host master classes for string, wind and percussion players. Musicians from Järvi Academy Sinfonietta, Pärnu City Orchestra, and Järvi Academy Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Pärnu International Music Festival will take place 8–18 July 2026.

Tutors: Paavo Järvi, Neeme Järvi, Kristjan Järvi, Leonid Grin

NB! When registering for courses, please provide:

• 2 YouTube links, each video lasting 10 minutes. Recordings may include mergers of repertoires.
• An edited biography for the program booklet.
• A photo in JPG format (high-resolution).
• An advance payment of €80 is required upon registration. NB! Failure to make the payment will result in the registration not being considered.

Active participant
16 active participants will be selected, and their work programme will include:

• At least 100 minutes of work with pianos and various orchestras of the Järvi Academy (4 July – 15 July 2026).
• Conducting two concerts in Tallinn and Pärnu. Participants will be selected by the tutors on the day before the concert. Each active participant can conduct at least one concert. The organiser does not guarantee an equal number of concerts for all participants.
• Lectures.

Student
Two students will be selected with a work progamme including:

• At least 50 minutes of work with pianos and various orchestras of the Järvi Academy (4 July – 15 July 2026).
• Concerts in Tallinn and Pärnu. Generally, students do not conduct at the concerts, but there have been exceptions.
• Lectures.

Passive participant
Those who receive a negative answer can participate as passive applicants, with a work programme including:

• One podium time with Leonid Grin (with pianos).
• Lectures.

Observers:
Guests are welcome to attend the masterclasses as observers. The fee is €30 per day, payable in cash on the spot.

Programme:
The programme will be published at the end of 2025.

Participation Fees / Price
Active participant / €2400
Student / €1200
Passive participant / €600
Observer / €30 per day

The registration deadline is 10 January 2026. Results will be announced by the end of January.

The deadline for payment of the participation fee is 1 April 2026. Late payment will result in a proposal for active participation to the next applicant.

Bank account details:
Recipient: Pärnu Music Festival MTÜ
Address: Vambola 5, Pärnu, 80026 Pärnu County
VAT number: EE101465670
Bank: SEB Bank
Bank code: EEUHEE2X (SWIFT)
Account number (IBAN): EE31 1010 2201 2382 5013

For a faster and smoother bank transfer, we recommend using TransferWise.

Additional information
When registering for the courses, we recommend, if possible, planning to take part in the festival’s final concert on 18 July 2026 and the reception that follows.

Accommodation
Participation fee does not include accommodation. Due to high demand in Pärnu during the summer, please book well in advance.

Catering: the participation fee includes lunch and dinner in Tallinn and Pärnu. Further details will be sent to all participants by newsletter.

Tickets to the festival concerts:
Free entry to festival concerts is available for active participants, students, and passive participants with pre-registration. The organiser does not guarantee access to all EFO concerts, except for the festival’s closing concert (with pre-registration). Registration for concerts takes place via a link sent to the participant’s email the day before each concert.