For over three decades, the Pärnu City Orchestra has enriched the cultural landscape of Pärnu as the only professional symphony orchestra in Western Estonia. This musical ensemble, which brings the community together, has created a diverse cultural space and offers unique experiences to audiences in Pärnu and across Estonia. The orchestra unites talented musicians from Pärnu, forming a dynamic community known for its versatility and genre-spanning performances.
The orchestra is dedicated to highlighting Estonian music, premiering and recording new works every year. Long-term collaborations with various concert organisations and internationally renowned musicians have established it as a prominent member of the Estonian music scene.
Starting from the 2024/25 season, the chief conductor of the Pärnu City Orchestra will be Henri Christofer Aavik, a representative of the younger generation of Estonian conductors and recipient of the 2022 Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Annual Award in the field of musical arts. He has gained attention as a laureate of the 5th Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition and the 8th Jorma Panula International Conducting Competition, and has conducted numerous prestigious ensembles, including the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century (Amsterdam), Sinfonia Rotterdam, Staatskapelle Weimar, Jena Philharmonic Orchestra, and Orchestra Senzaspine (Bologna).
