“What is so enchantingly charming and magical about this time forgotten place? The concentration of the musicians who gather around Paavo Järvi is the one thing. And the absolute absence of any pretention”
Die Welt
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·Paavo Järvi announces a new programme for the 10th anniversary of the festival, showcasing Estonian composers and musicians
·8 live-streamed concerts with audience, featuring works by Estonian composers Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Jüri Reinvere, a world premiere by Tõnu Kõrvits and a tribute to Lepo Sumera in his 70th anniversary year.
· Solo artists to include Olli Mustonen , Kalle and Kristjan Randalu (piano), Alena Baeva and Triin Ruubel (violin), Theodor Sink and Allar Kaasik (cello), Maarika Järvi and Monika Mattiesen (flute) and Stefan Dohr (horn).
· Also celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Estonian Festival Orchestra reunites with 55 musicians from both at home and abroad
With the good news that the Pärnu Music Festival will go ahead with its 10th anniversary celebrations follows the even better news that 20 international members of the Estonian Festival Orchestra will be able to travel to Pärnu this summer to be reunited with their Estonian colleagues for 8 days of sunny music-making on the Baltic coast and a focus on both young and established Estonian talent.
“When I sat down and started to think
about how to re-programme this year’s festival given all the limitations that
needed to be taken into account, I realized that it gave us an opportunity to
celebrate just how far we have come in our first 10 years of summers in Pärnu” says Paavo Järvi. “At the beginning my goal was to nurture
Estonian talent by bringing in as many international artists as possible, so
that young Estonian musicians would have the chance to play with top colleagues
from around the world and develop their musical careers. Now I realise that our
goal has actually been achieved and we have top class Estonian talent welcoming
back their colleagues, for genuine musical reunions.”
This year’s programme presents four Estonian soloists - Kalle and Kristjan Randalu (piano), Triin Ruubel (violin) and Theodor Sink (cello) who perform in addition to guest international soloists Olli Mustonen (piano), Alena Baeva (violin) and Stefan Dohr (horn).
Featured composers Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Jüri Reinvere, and Tõnu Kõrvits all have strong links with the Festival. Arvo Pärt has visited Pärnu regularly for performances of his works; three of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s compositions were the focus of the Estonian Festival Orchestra’s latest CD, Mythos; Jüri Reinvere’s orchestral work And Tired from Happiness .. they started to Dance and Concerto for two Flutes were both premiered at the festival; and Tõnu Kõrvits was presented with the Lepo Sumera Award on the last night of the festival in 2018.
All of the main 8 events of this
year’s Pärnu Music Festival will be performed with a reduced audience and streamed live on the festival website. The
Järvi Academy masterclasses (given by Paavo Järvi and Kristjan Järvi) will also be streamed live so that young conductors
who are unable to travel can still participate.
A REMINDER FOR ALL CONCERT VISITORS
- The 2+2 rule must be followed in all concerts of the Pärnu Music Festival.
- Auditorium doors will be opened 30 minutes before each concert. A guarded wardrobe is available.
- We ask all visitors to arrive with enough time to spare and keep your distance from other visitors when exiting the auditorium after a concert. When entering and exiting the concert auditorium, please follow the instructions of the servicing staff; visitors must move by rows; a staff member will open the doors and organise the movement.
- Disinfectants are available in lobbies.
- We advise you to purchase an electronic ticket. The ticket desk of the Pärnu Concert Hall will be open if any tickets are available.
- It is forbidden to visit the concert if you display any symptoms of disease. Upon request, tickets will be bought back; please contact us at tagasiost@piletilevi.ee
- People in risk groups (the elderly or people with a chronic disease) should avoid participation. Each person is responsible for following the recommendations and must assess their health individually. Upon request, tickets will be bought back; please contact us at tagasiost@piletilevi.ee. The seat numbers on tickets are not valid. The servicing staff will guide people to their seats pursuant to the current instructions of the Health Board. Seating is arranged similarly to your original seat.
- Family members who have purchased two tickets can sit side by side. It is forbidden to change your seat arbitrarily.
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We ask all visitors for understanding and to follow the instructions currently
in force.
The Pärnu Music Festival wishes you a memorable experience!
Having grown up in Tallinn, Pärnu has always held a special place in Paavo’s heart as it was where the family traditionally gathered for summer holidays. During occupation it was also the summer home of artists including Dmitri Shostakovich and David Oistrakh who visited for the nearest thing to western tolerance and understanding in the Soviet Union, it was a place for artists to relax and enjoy each other’s company and it was here in 1973 that a young Paavo met Shostakovich for the first time.
It was also here that David Oistrakh invited musicians and students to join him for ad hoc performances in the little green Dacha which he rented each summer before his death in 1974. It was in this spirit that Paavo Järvi decided to return to Pärnu, surrounded by his family, and create a festival offering masterclasses to international young conductors, creating an Academy Orchestra comprising the very best of young Estonian musical talent and the Estonian Festival Orchestra - hand-picked by Paavo, including professional Estonian musicians complemented by soloists from the top European orchestras. In addition to playing in the Festival Orchestra, these guest musicians also perform chamber music concerts and offer advice to the younger generation of musicians.
“There isn’t a hint of a hothouse environment on stage – these are simply musicians having the time of their lives, no small thanks to the inspiring Paavo Järvi himself, and they’re an inspiration, in turn, to the festival youth orchestra.”
BBC Music Magazine
The week long festival takes place in various locations throughout the town including the church of St Elizabeth – founded in 1741 when the Russian empress donated 8000 roubles for its construction. Children’s concerts take place in one of the numerous spa hotels where families gather after long days on the beach and the main festival concerts take place in the elegant 1000 seater concert hall, built in 2002 and widely regarded as having one of Estonia’s best acoustics.
For Paavo, the Pärnu Festival is not just another festival. Having emigrated with his family aged 18 to the States, it is the chance to return to his roots, to showcase the culture and beauty of his country and to nurture the next generation of musicians. And the Estonian Festival Orchestra has become a major part of that story, bringing togetherprofessional Estonian players with musicians from across Europe and beyond, with the same motto of Estonian Independence as it was read from the balcony of the Endla Theatre in 1918: