About Baltic Sea Philharmonic

» The orchestra has an explicit social dimension, which really struck me as important «

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic: a dream of innovation and invention

A collective act of listening and creation, unfolding in real time with you in the audience.
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic performs almost entirely without sheet music; in most projects, the musicians know every note by heart. This opens up space for something else, where breath replaces baton, movement stems from listening, and sound becomes something that is shared. At times, the music flows in a continuous arc, with tides of transition shaped by light, space, and silence, anchored in attention, spirit, and connection. Drawn from a spectrum of musical lineages and traditions, the musicians shape a single, focused sound – clear, flexible, and alive.

The Usedomer Musikfestival had long envisioned uniting young musicians from across the Baltic to build trust and collaboration, a dream realized in 2007 through a pilot led by Robertas Servenikas that already embodied the spirit of unity. In 2008, the festival launched the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, with Kristjan Järvi as its founding conductor and music director. He shaped the ensemble with energy, conviction, and a bold artistic vision, bringing movement, co-creation, and adventurous programming into its journey. From day one, the orchestra focused not only on performing, but also on how music is learned and shared. This spirit also led to the founding of the Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation e.V. in 2013. Today, the foundation is a pillar of the orchestra’s identity, supporting mentoring, school concerts, and generational exchange across the entire Baltic region. Education remains a strong part of the artistic mission.

Since its birth, the orchestra has been a meeting place as much as an ensemble, where borders dissolve and music become a shared language; where playing, singing, and dancing together builds bridges. Under Järvi’s leadership, the orchestra became a space for risk and reinvention. His influence continues to shape how the musicians move, listen, and play together. The orchestra has collaborated with conductors such as Neeme Järvi and Kurt Masur, and with artists including Jonas Kaufmann, Gidon Kremer, Julia Fischer, Fazıl Say, Max Richter, Max Raabe (Babylon Berlin), Daniel Hope, David Geringas, Brian Eno, and Lauma Skride. In May 2022, musicians from the orchestra played ‘Side by Side’ with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Jaap van Zweeden as part of the US orchestra's exclusive European residency at the Usedom Music Festival. In April 2024, the globally celebrated band Coldplay asked the orchestra to perform at the Glastonbury Festival in the UK, one of the biggest open-air festivals. Two months later, several musicians from the Baltic Sea Philharmonic played with the band in front of over 200,000 people.The orchestra also tours leading cultural cities – from Berlin to Paris, London to Hong Kong – to standing ovations.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic is more than an orchestra, it is a community in motion, a culture of co-creation, and one of the most inspiring acts on today’s musical stage.

Artistic Partner & Principal Guest Conductor

Robert Treviño

Artistic Partner & Principal Guest Conductor

Robert Treviño quickly rose to prominence among American conductors and is now considered a leading talent of the younger generation. He is the principal conductor of the Basque National Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai.

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Head of Artistic Development & Education

Jan Bjøranger

Head of Artistic Development & Education

Jan Bjøranger is one of Europe's foremost violinists and ensemble leaders. As the founder and artistic director of the renowned and award-winning orchestra 1B1, where the focus is on making classical music available to a wide audience, he has helped to establish new standards for ensemble and orchestral playing.

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