Welcome to the Pärnu Music Festival – Estonia’s summer-camp for the musical architects of tomorrow.
“Pärnu has always been a place of return and reconnection for me. In 1993 I came home to a country rediscovering its voice. Today, as we mark 35 years of renewed independence and 16 years of the Pärnu Music Festival, we celebrate not only our past but our cultural future.” Paavo Järvi
Following a landmark year, which paid tribute to Arvo Pärt on his 90th birthday, the 16th Pärnu Music Festival returns to Estonia’s summer capital from 8–18 July, marking 35 years of Estonian Independence. Under Paavo Järvi’s artistic direction, joined by his father Neeme and brother Kristjan Järvi, the festival welcomes more than 300 musicians from around the world, cementing Pärnu’s reputation as Estonia’s summer-camp for the musical architects of tomorrow.
Nestled in a tranquil bay on the Baltic coast between Tallinn and Riga, Pärnu is an historic spa-town where time seems to slow down. Its wide, sun-washed beaches open onto a world of ancient bogs and forests in Soomaa National Park and
the windswept UNESCO-listed island of Kihnu. The spirit of Estonia’s landscapes and cultural heritage are reflected in this year’s festival’s programme.
Photo: Visit Estonia / Eiliki Pukk
Neeme Järvi and the Järvi Academy Youth Symphony Orchestra open the festival (8 July) with performances of Heino Eller’s evocative symphonic poems Koit (Dawn) and Videvik (Twilight), alongside Dvořák’s In Nature’s Realm.
Kristjan Järvi and Nordic Pulse follow with a performance honouring the Summer Solstice (2 concerts on 10 July).
Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra extend the festival’s journey through nature, with richly contrasted programmes featuring Carl Nielsen’s Sinfonia Espansiva and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony. They are joined by Latvian sisters Kristīne and Margarita Balanas in Philip Glass’s Double Concerto (13 July) and star soloists Rudolf Buchbinder and Alice Sara Ott for performances of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos Nos 1 & 3 in the festival’s closing concerts (17, 18
July).
Returning to Pärnu after his hugely successful New York debut last autumn performing Arvo Pärt’s Tabula Rasa with Midori and the Estonian Festival Orchestra, Hans Christian Aavik curates a chamber music programme entitled Rooted
Landscapes, interweaving works by Veljo Tormis, Tõnu Kõrvits, Jaan Rääts and Béla Bartók (13 July). His brother Henri Christofer Aavik—winner of the 2025 German Conducting Award—follows with a late night concert and the world premiere of a new double flute concerto by Märt-Matis Lill with the Pärnu City Orchestra.
With four world-premieres this summer, the Pärnu Music Festival continues its commitment to championing contemporary music. Highlights include the first performance of Tõnu Kõrvits’ Viola Concerto, with soloist Amihai Grosz (11 July), and the continuation of a major initiative launched by Paavo Järvi in 2024 to commission new works by Estonian female composers. This year’s featured composers are Liisa Hõbepappel (12 July) and Evelin Seppar (17 July).
In a further new initiative, Paavo Järvi will invite emerging soloists (to be announced) to perform with the Estonian Festival Orchestra in a Young Talents concert (14 July). Designed to support artists at the threshold of their international careers, the project creates a significant platform for the next generation of performers. Together with the annual Järvi Academy for conductors and young instrumentalists—whose masterclasses and concerts have been integral to the festival since its inception—this new project underscores the festival’s long-standing dedication to artistic mentorship and development.
“I see my job more as a facilitator of composers and young musicians that I can help” says Paavo Järvi, “because at one point somebody helped me. Everybody needs someone to open the door and it’s my turn now.”