After opening their ‘Midnight Sun‘ summer tour at the Berlin Philharmonie on 21 June 2023, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi will return to Berlin in September. On 11, 12 and 13 September the orchestra will present the pulsating sounds of Babylon Berlin at the Theater des Westens, where it will be joined by an impressive artist line-up of Meret Becker, Max Raabe, Natalia Mateo, Madame Le Pustra, Cristina Russo, and Eckart Runge & Jacques Ammon. Under the musical direction of Johnny Klimek and Kristjan Järvi, this live premiere of the soundtrack from the popular TV series will be a breathtaking stage show. Projected images from the series will combine with the scintillating score to bring the heady atmosphere of Weimar-era Berlin to life. A large part of the performance will be recorded for ARD and presented as a special event to mark the premiere of the fourth season of Babylon Berlin at the beginning of October.

The spectacular Babylon Berlin concert experience is a collaboration between TingelTangel and Sunbeam Productions, with the support of X Filme Creative Pool, the production company behind the TV series.

Tickets are available here

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi will make their debut at the Venice Biennale with the world premiere of Ships by pioneering British musician Brian Eno On 21 October, 36 musicians of the orchestra will perform this sensational new work in two concerts at the Teatro La Fenice. Composer, musician, producer and visual artist, Brian Eno will receive the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Musica 2023. For the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, this world premiere reflects the orchestra’s distinctive mission to take musical performances to new dimensions. The collaboration with Brian Eno is the latest in a string of unique projects and encounters with such musicians as the British indie-pop band Bastille (2020), the Estonian singer-songwriter Mick Pedaja (2019) and the pianist Olga Scheps (2022). With Ships the innovative ensemble and its conductor set course for the sound worlds of a musical legend.
Concert tickets are available at Biennale website here.

Innovation at every turn
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi are excited to collaborate with Brian Eno and to be part of the 2023 Venice Biennale. The British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist is a musical pioneer – a true innovator in the world of music. His work spans genres such as ambient, electronica, rock and classical, and his influence can be felt in the work of artists from David Bowie to U2. He has produced some of the most iconic albums of the last four decades, including David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy and U2’s Achtung Baby. He is also a major innovator in the field of soundscapes, and is credited with creating the genre of ambient music. Brian Eno is a true visionary, whose influence continues to shape the musical landscape of today.

Discovering new paths of innovation in 2023
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic is pursuing its own path of innovation with its renowned programme ‘Midnight Sun’, which it will present in a series of exciting concert tours in 2023. The programme, which takes its name from the Nordic phenomenon of the never-setting midnight sun, will start on 21 June at the Berlin Philharmonie, with subsequent performances at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg on 22 June and the Kissinger Sommer on 23 June. Later in 2023 the ‘Midnight Sun’ programme undergoes a transformation with more concerts in Germany and Italy. The orchestra and Kristjan Järvi will open the Usedom Music Festival on 16 September before touring Italy from 20–23 September, with visits to the Merano Music Festival (20 September), the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona (21 September) and the Teatro Amintore Galli in Rimini (22 September). For detailed information on the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s concert calendar, visit www.baltic-sea-philharmonic.eu.

Production Manager (m/w/d) Konzerttourneen und Orchester

Für das Berliner Büro des Baltic Sea Philharmonic und seines Trägervereins Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation e.V. suchen wir zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt einen Production Manager (m/w/d) in Voll- oder Teilzeit (mind. 32 Std/Woche)), in Festanstellung oder auf Honorarbasis für die 2023 anstehenden Konzerttourneen. Diese Stelle ist vorerst auf ein Jahr befristet, eine Verlängerung wird angestrebt.

Deine Aufgaben:

Organisation und Durchführung der künstlerischen Projekte des Baltic Sea Philharmonic

• Organisation der Tour-Planung des Orchesters, u.a.: Einladungsmanagement und Orchesterdisposition, Visaangelegenheiten und Instrumentenpässe
• Recherche und Anmietung von Probenräumen sowie Leihinstrumenten
• Reiseorganisation und Koordination, Hotelbuchungen und Logistik
• Erstellung von detaillierten Zeit- und Ablaufplänen für Musiker*innen und Begleitpersonen
• Betreuung der Touren
• Künstler:innenbetreuung (Dirigent, Solist*innen, Orchestermusiker*innen, Dozent*innen)
• Anleitung und Koordination von Bühnen- und Technikpersonal bei Bühnenaufbau und Konzert
• Administrative Vor- und Nachbereitung der Projekte
• Unterstützung bei Notenbereitstellung und -verwaltung 

Dein Profil:

• Absolvent:in der Musik-, Kulturwissenschaft oder -management, Eventmanagement oder eines vergleichbaren Faches mit Schwerpunkt auf Projektmanagement
• Erste Arbeitserfahrung in der Musikbranche, z.B. Agentur, Orchester, Festival, Spiel-/Veranstaltungsstätte, Agentur und vergleichbare Erfahrungen im Bereich Events
• Verhandlungssichere Sprachkenntnisse in Deutsch und Englisch in Wort und Schrift; weitere Fremdsprache(n), insbesondere aus der Ostseeregion, von Vorteil
• Organisationstalent: eigenständiges, genaues Arbeiten und Prioritätensetzung, Verantwortungsbewusstsein
• Zuverlässigkeit, Teamfähigkeit und Bereitschaft zu flexiblen Arbeitszeiten
• Sicherer Umgang mit den gängigen MS-Office-Programmen
• Führerschein Klasse B und Fahrpraxis
• Notenkenntnisse und eigene Orchestererfahrung wünschenswert

Was Dich erwartet:

• Werde Teil eines ungewöhnlichen Kulturprojektes und gestalte die Festival- und Konzerttouren eines internationalen Orchesters durch Deutschland und Europa
• Mitgestaltung hochkarätiger Konzerterlebnisse
• Freundliche Arbeitsatmosphäre in einem kleinen, motivierten Team: Dabei arbeitest Du eng mit dem Produktionsteam, dem Music Director und Executive Director sowie Musiker:innen der Ostseeregion, und Kooperationspartner:innen des Orchesters zusammen.
• Flexible Arbeitszeiten im Berliner Büro in Mitte, teilweise im Homeoffice/Remote möglich bei einer regelmäßigen Arbeitszeit nach Absprache zwischen 32 bis 40 Stunden pro Woche (auf Tournee wird die Anwesenheit in Vollzeit vorausgesetzt)

Über uns:

Das Baltic Sea Philharmonic ist ein internationales Orchester, das junge Musiker*innen im Alter von 18 bis 30 Jahren aus dem gesamten Ostseeraum, von Norwegen bis Russland zusammenbringt und unter der Leitung von Kristjan Järvi einzigartige Konzerterlebnisse kreiert. Seit seiner Gründung 2008 präsentiert das Baltic Sea Philharmonic sein musikalisches Repertoire auf weltweiten Konzerttourneen. Weitere Informationen zum Baltic Sea Philharmonic und den für 2023 geplanten Touren und Musikprojekten findest Du unter www.baltic-sea-philharmonic.eu sowie auf Facebook, Instagram oder YouTube.

Unsere Stelle passt zu Dir? Dann freuen wir uns auf Deine Bewerbung mit Anschreiben, Lebenslauf, Referenzen und Gehaltsvorstellungen per E-Mail an Rita Sosedow (contact@bmef.eu) bis zum 27. März 2023.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi will bring their renowned programme ‘Midnight Sun’ to Germany in the summer of 2023. The new tour, which takes its name from the Nordic phenomenon of the never-setting midnight sun, will start on 21 June at the Berlin Philharmonie, then continue to the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg on 22 June and conclude at the Kissinger Sommer on 23 June. The threese concerts will transport audiences into the unique world of a youthful, international group of forward-thinking musicians and their pioneering conductor. Concert-goers will experience a stimulating musical journey with no breaks or intermission, as the performers play from memory without the use of music stands. The musicians’ kinetic energy on stage and their dynamic engagement with each other and their conductor further enhance the presentation.

This outstanding summer event brings together works by Tubin, Rääts, Kristjan Järvi and the orchestra’s harpist Liis Jürgens. The highlight of the evening will be the 1945 version of Stravinsky’s classic The Firebird. It is the centrepiece of a programme full of fresh and invigorating interpretations, all performed in inimitable Baltic Sea Philharmonic style.

Tickets for the Berlin concert, held in collaboration with the Young Euro Classic international music festival in Berlin, are available from 7 March here. Tickets for the Elbphilharmonie concert go on sale from the same date here. The ‘Midnight Sun’ tour is sponsored by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

Immerse yourself in Nordic midsummer nights

The immersive sound spectacle of ‘Midnight Sun’ brings the magical atmosphere of a Nordic midsummer to Berlin, Hamburg and Bad Kissingen, inspired by the phenomenon of the never-setting midnight sun in the summer months above the Arctic Circle. After an uplifting introduction with Kristjan Järvi’s Ascending Swans, which transports the audience from the hot Central European summer nights to the cool of the far North, the orchestra and conductor move into far more epic and exotic realms with Stravinsky. The Firebird was the first full-length work that the Baltic Sea Philharmonic performed completely by heart  – the orchestra’s world-premiere memorised performance of the Stravinsky classic took place in 2017 on the Swedish island of Gotland on the orchestra’s ‘Baltic Folk’ tour. The longing for transformation and renewal so powerfully expressed in The Firebird has since been an important theme for the orchestra as it takes musical performance to new dimensions. After selections from Jaan Rääts’ Concerto for Chamber Orchestra No. 1, the ‘Midnight Sun’ programme continues to the southeast of Estonia and the Seto region with the Setu Tants by Estonian master Eduard Tubin. The Dream of Tabu-Tabu by Baltic Sea Philharmonic harpist Liis Jürgens – a powerful, cinematic declaration of freedom of expression and against totalitarianism and violence – precedes the evening’s closing piece, Kristjan Järvi’s Midnight Sun.

Even more ‘Midnight Sun’ in Germany and Italy

Later in 2023 the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s ‘Midnight Sun’ programme undergoes another transformation with more concerts in Germany and Italy. The orchestra and Kristjan Järvi will open the Usedom Music Festival on 16 September before touring Italy from 20– 23 September, with visits to the Merano Music Festival (20 September), the Teatro Filarmonico in Verona (21 September) and the Teatro Amintore Galli in Rimini (22 September).

Please check our concert schedule for all concerts in 2023.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s new Nutcracker album for Sony Classical, which the orchestra recorded completely from memory, will be released on 2 December. Kristjan Järvi conducts his own arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s final ballet as a Dramatic Symphony. This fresh and imaginative reworking revitalises Nutcracker’s most popular dances and lets the brilliance and inventiveness of the ballet’s less familiar numbers shine through. The musicians of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic recorded this new version of Nutcracker entirely by heart in Tallinn in September 2022, at the end of their ‘Meresillad’ tour of Germany and Estonia. As well as releasing the complete album on 2 December, Sony will release two singles and one focus track showcasing celebrated scenes from the ballet – ‘Coffee: Arabian Dance’ (4 November), ‘Evergreen Forest in Winter’ (18 November) and ‘Overture’ (2 December).

From ballet to Dramatic Symphony
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s new Nutcracker joins Järvi’s previous Tchaikovsky releases on Sony – The Snow Maiden, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty – in revitalising great theatrical pieces for contemporary audiences. Järvi says: ‘There is a tendency today to see classical music as some kind of precious relic that has to be treated with white gloves, almost with an archaeologist’s care, and the idea of even thinking about arranging a piece is somehow bad. But making arrangements, especially of theatre music, used to be much more prevalent, with composers playing around with new music and popularising it, as a way of making it part of mainstream culture.’ With his Nutcracker arrangement, Järvi wanted to give some of Tchaikovsky’s most well-known numbers a context that shows there is more great music in this celebrated ballet.  ‘When creating this Dramatic Symphony version, I didn’t make musical choices according to the popularity of certain movements. Instead my choices were based on what material and movements I thought would be most interesting and riveting to listen to in sequence. I wanted music that would hold the listener’s attention throughout, so I reorchestrated and rewrote some elements, and created new transitions’, he continues.

Recording Nutcracker from memory
The Estonian Public Broadcasting Studio 1 in Tallinn where Nutcracker was recorded was set up to recreate the atmosphere of the orchestra’s celebrated live concerts, in which the musicians play the entire programme from memory and create a unique energy. Subtle stage lighting, a smoke machine, decorations and lounge furniture gave the studio a club concert vibe. With no music stands, the musicians were mostly standing up, spread out and not in their sections, free to move and even dance to the music. Gertrud Leopard, an Estonian percussionist in the orchestra who was familiar with the studio in Tallinn, having recorded there twice before, says: ‘Recording from memory is a unique experience for me. It means I can focus more on the music, without having to concentrate on the score. With the special atmosphere in the studio, it really feels like we are performing and we are building a unique connection within the orchestra.’

That connection extends to the creative exchange with conductor Kristjan Järvi. Blessed with the studio time to allow experiments with the smallest of details in his arrangement, Järvi frequently invited the musicians to join him in the sound engineer’s booth to listen back to takes and talk about adjustments in interpretation, tempo or dynamics. Järvi says: ‘The beauty of working with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic is that we have the time to experiment, to try out changes to what’s written and see if they improve the musical results. Normally with an orchestra this is simply not possible because everybody’s time is so precious. In this sense, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic is truly an ensemble of co-creators, as opposed to an ensemble of musical executioners.’

A growing Sony Classical discography
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s new Nutcracker album joins the orchestra’s burgeoning discography on Sony Classical. The orchestra and Kristjan Järvi’s first recording for the label was The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure, an arrangement for orchestra of Wagner’s Ring Cycle (2016). An album of Stravinsky and Glass violin concertos (2020) featured the young Swiss violinist David Nebel in his debut concerto recording, with Järvi conducting the Baltic Sea Philharmonic in Stravinsky’s neoclassical Violin Concerto in D major and the London Symphony Orchestra in Glass’s Violin Concerto No. 1. Gramophone praised Nebel’s interpretation of the Stravinsky and the energetic playing of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, with the magazine’s reviewer concluding: ‘This is a tremendously impressive debut album, and the Stravinsky performance is among the very best.’ The Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s recording of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty arranged by Järvi as a Dramatic Symphony (2020) received rave reviews in Germany and Sweden and was nominated for an OPUS Klassik award in 2021.

Listen to the first single ‘Coffee: Arabian Dance’ here

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi received a rapturous reception at all three concerts on their ‘Meresillad’ tour of Germany and Estonia (15–21 September). Playing to sold-out houses in Eisenach, Peenemünde and Tallinn, the orchestra thrilled a combined audience of around 2,600 concert-goers with a programme that featured a celebration of Estonian music (‘Meresillad’ means ‘sea bridges’ in Estonian) and a new Dramatic Symphony arrangement by Kristjan Järvi of Tchaikovsky’s evergreen Nutcracker ballet. The Baltic Sea Philharmonic performed the complete 90-minute ‘Meresillad’ programme from memory, as one uninterrupted flow of music, with no intermission. Atmospheric lighting design and bespoke concert outfits highlighted the musical storytelling approach of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and enhanced the visual spectacle of the musicians playing, moving, dancing, and even at times singing on stage.

The orchestra, travelling as an ensemble of 67 musicians, began the ‘Meresillad’ tour on 15 September in the Thuringian town of Eisenach, birthplace of J.S. Bach. Ahead of its debut at the Landestheater Eisenach in front of an audience of 500 concert-goers, the orchestra gave a pop-up concert for 250 pupils at the town’s Geschwister-Scholl-Schule. On 17 September the Baltic Sea Philharmonic opened the Usedom Music Festival, wowing 1,200 concert-goers in Peenemünde on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, the orchestra’s spiritual home and the place where it was founded in 2008. For the final ‘Meresillad’ concert, the musicians journeyed to Tallinn, Kristjan Järvi’s birthplace and home city, where they performed for an audience of 900 at the Estonia Concert Hall on 21 September.

Estonian composers past and present, and a beloved ballet reimagined
In a programme dedicated to Estonia, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic featured works by two of the country’s most celebrated 20th-century composers in the shape of Jan Rääts’ Concerto for Chamber Orchestra No. 1 (first movement) and Eduard Tubin’s ‘Setu Tants’ from his Estonian Dance Suite. The orchestra opened with Kristjan Järvi’s Sibelius-inspired Ascending Swans and closed the programme in rousing style with another contemporary Estonian work, Tabu-tabu by Liis Jürgens, a harpist in the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. Composed especially for the orchestra, and commissioned by the Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation, Tabu-tabu is an example of the orchestra empowering its musicians as creators, collaborators and innovators. The piece was composed at the beginning of this year during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and at the same time recalls the Cold War period in Estonia. Jürgens says: ‘I chose “Tabu”, the Polynesian word for things that must not be spoken about, because there was a time in Estonia when people were not allowed to speak freely, when things that were important to people, for example Christianity or Estonian identity, were shrouded in silence. There were simply many taboos.’ With its colourful percussion and driving rhythms, and with conductor Kristjan Järvi marshalling the musicians and the audience with a shaman drum in his hand,  Tabu-tabu was enthusiastically received at all three concerts. In Tallinn the piece was performed with special guest Meister Jaan playing the jaw harp.

Alongside the Estonian works on the ‘Meresillad’ programme was Kristjan Järvi’s new Dramatic Symphony version of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the great Russian composer’s final ballet which has long been a beloved seasonal spectacle. As with his previous reworkings of Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, Järvi’s arrangement showcases all the quintessential colour and wonder of Tchaikovsky’s theatre music. The Nutcracker Dramatic Symphony received its world premiere in Eisenach and brought standing ovations for the orchestra even during the concert. Reviewing the Usedom Music Festival performance for the Ostsee Zeitung, Cornelia Meerkatz described Järvi’s Nutcracker reworking as ‘a Baltic Sea Philharmonic version of this impeccable masterpiece. Järvi took on the role of the Nutcracker or Mouse King himself, leaping in the air or crouching down. And from the orchestra there was pure joy of playing. The musicians danced, laughed and even sang. Every note was a feast for the ears.’

See performance shots and behind-the-scenes photos from the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s ‘Meresillad’ tour on Facebook and Instagram

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic made a thrilling debut at the Birgitta Festival, Estonia’s annual music theatre festival, on 12 August. The orchestra and its conductor Kristjan Järvi presented their unique take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, performing Järvi’s own arrangement of Sibelius’s masterful theatre music alongside other works by Sibelius, Järvi and Baltic Sea Philharmonic harpist Liis Jürgens. The orchestra performed the entire programme from memory and without intermission. With no music stands on stage, the musicians were free to move and interact with each other, and the dynamic choreography, with players changing places, moving across the stage and among the audience, dancing and play-fighting, all underscored the drama of Shakespeare’s play. The immersive performance also featured atmospheric lighting and sound design, as well as original projection art. The audio-visual concept was done by Sunbeam Productions.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic collaborated in The Tempest with soloist Mari Meentalo on the Estonian bagpipes. She also had a striking role in Kristjan Järvi’s Midnight Sun and in addition she played the mouth harp in Jürgens’ The Dream of Tabu-tabu. The orchestra’s programme included another celebrated work by Sibelius in the shape of his 1895 tone poem The Swan of Tuonela from The Lemminkaïnen Suite, and five other pieces by Kristjan Järvi – Life Lives Ethereal, Frozen Tears, Runic Prayer, Aurora and Ascending Swans, which is based on the Song of Praise from Sibelius’s Swanwhite Suite.

The Birgitta Festival concert, which took place in the ruins of the 15th-century Pirita convent in Tallinn, was sold out, with around 850 people in the audience. It came a month after the Baltic Sea Philharmonic made a memorable debut at Estonia’s Pärnu Music Festival, performing four concerts in as many days. In a 2022 season focused on Estonia, the orchestra will return to Tallinn next month as part of its ‘Meresillad’ tour of Germany and Estonia (15–21 September). This tour, the Estonian language title of which translates as ‘sea bridges’, will celebrate Estonia and also the deep connections between the countries of the Baltic Sea region. The programme includes music by Estonian composers past and present, with works by Eduard Tubin (1905–1982), Jaan Rääts (1932–2020) and Liis Jürgens. It also features Kristjan Järvi’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker as a Dramatic Symphony, a work which completes Järvi’s trilogy of adaptations of the Russian composer’s ballets, after Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. The ‘Meresillad’ tour will take the orchestra to Eisenach (15 September) and the Usedom Music Festival (17 September) before the tour concludes in Tallinn on 21 September with a concert at the Estonia Concert Hall.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic made a memorable debut at the Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia this month, performing four concerts in as many days. This year’s 12th edition of the festival (13–22 July) in the seaside resort town of Pärnu is celebrating the 85th birthday of Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi, who conducted the festival’s opening concert. The Järvi family have been reunited at the Pärnu Music Festival, with Paavo Järvi conducting the Estonian Festival Orchestra and Kristjan Järvi conducting the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. In addition to performing a spectacular ‘Nordic Amazonia’ concert on 15 July, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic gave three masterclass concerts in Laulasmaa, Tallinn and Pärnu, with conducting students from the Järvi Academy.

Big birthdays and budding conductors
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s ‘Nordic Amazonia’ concert experience at the sold-out Pärnu Concert Hall was a double celebration, marking both the 85th birthday of American minimalist Philip Glass and the 50th birthday of Kristjan Järvi, the orchestra’s Founding Conductor and Artistic Director. Kristjan conducted the ensemble of 49 musicians in a programme comprising Glass’s Aguas da Amazonia and pieces by Kristjan from his 2020 album Nordic Escapes, including Nebula, Aurora and In Horizons. The orchestra was joined by Swiss violinist David Nebel, and the musicians performed the music in signature Baltic Sea Philharmonic style – completely from memory, and as a single continuous flow of music with no intermission. Atmospheric lighting, sound design and choreography created an electrifying concert experience, with the musicians moving and dancing on stage and finally exiting the hall still dancing amid standing ovations from the excited audience. The concert was livestreamed and is available to watch on Pärnu Music Festival TV.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic also had an important role at the Pärnu Music Festival supporting the education of young musicians selected for the Järvi Academy, which is an inseparable part of the festival. The international group of ten students on this year’s Järvi Academy conducting course had coaching sessions with Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Kristjan Järvi and Leonid Grin, and took part in three Masterclass Concerts with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. The first of these was at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa on 12 July, and featured music by the renowned Estonian composer. Two more masterclass concerts with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic took place in Tallinn (12 July) and Pärnu (14 July), both featuring music by Ravel, Stravinsky and Bartók. All three concerts were livestreamed.

Returning to Estonia in August and September
Kristjan Järvi and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic will be back in Tallinn on 12 August for the orchestra’s debut at the Birgitta Festival, a music theatre festival that was first held in 2005. At an open-air concert in the historic ruins of the Pirita Convent, the orchestra will perform Kristjan’s suite from Sibelius’s masterful theatre music for The Tempest by William Shakespeare. In a performance co-created with the orchestra members, the musicians will be performing both music and text, and the concert will be accompanied by special lighting and sound design. As well as the music from The Tempest, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic will also perform pieces by Kristjan, including Midnight Sun, Aurora and Frozen Tears.

Tallinn is also the final destination on the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s ‘Meresillad’ tour of Germany and Estonia (15–21 September). The tour, the Estonian language title of which translates as ‘sea bridges’, celebrates Estonia, and the tour programme includes music by Estonian composers past and present, with works by Eduard Tubin (1905–1982) and Jaan Rääts (1932–2020) as well as Liis Jürgens, who is a harpist in the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. The programme will also feature Kristjan Järvi’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker as a Dramatic Symphony. This completes his trilogy of reworkings of the Russian composer’s ballets, after Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. The ‘Meresillad’ tour will conclude in Tallinn on 21 September with a concert at the Estonia Concert Hall.

Watch the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s ‘Nordic Amazonia’ concert and all three Järvi Academy concerts now on Pärnu Music Festival TV

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic will make its debut at the Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia in July. This year’s festival in the seaside resort town of Pärnu is celebrating the 85th birthday of Estonian conductor Neeme Järvi, who will conduct the opening concert of the festival. The Järvi family will be reunited at the festival, as Paavo Järvi conducts the Estonian Festival Orchestra and Kristjan Järvi and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic give four concerts in as many days. Both Järvi brothers also have significant birthdays this year, with Kristjan turning 50 in June and Paavo turning 60 in December.

Celebration and education

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic will be supporting the education of young musicians selected for the Järvi Academy, which is an inseparable part of the Pärnu Music Festival. Students on this year’s Järvi Academy Conducting course will have coaching sessions with Neeme Järvi, Paavo Järvi, Kristjan Järvi and Leonid Grin, and will take part in three Masterclass Concerts with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. The first of these is at the Arvo Pärt Centre in Laulasmaa on 12 July, and will feature music by the renowned Estonian composer. Two more masterclass concerts with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic will take place in Tallinn (12 July) and Pärnu (14 July), both featuring music by Ravel, Stravinsky and Bartók.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s main festival concert with Kristjan Järvi in Pärnu on 15 July has the theme ‘Nordic Amazonia’ and will feature Aguas da Amazonia by Philip Glass and pieces by Kristjan Järvi from his album Nordic Escapes, which was released on BMG/Modern Recordings in 2020 including Aurora and Nebula. The orchestra will be joined by Swiss violinist David Nebel, who recorded both Aurora and Nebula for the Nordic Escapes album. The ‘Nordic Amazonia’ concert will be performed in signature Baltic Sea Philharmonic style, completely from memory, and as one flow of music with no breaks or interval. The concert will celebrate the 85th birthday (in January this year) of Philip Glass and the 50th birthday of Kristjan Järvi.

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic sends its warmest congratulations to Founding Conductor and Music Director Kristjan Järvi as he turns 50 on 13 June. It is almost exactly 14 years since Kristjan conducted the orchestra’s first ever concert, at the Great Guild in Riga on 4 June 2008, and from that moment onwards he has shaped the ensemble’s reputation as a powerful engine of innovation, creative freedom and risk-taking on the international orchestral scene. Through the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, a generation of musicians has been inspired to step out of their comfort zone and embrace freedom and fearlessness, both in their playing and as a wider creative mindset. Kristjan has instilled in the orchestra musicians a collective spirit of self-discovery, encouraging their passion and potential in areas such as memorisation, digital production and music creation.

Kristjan has shown the members of the orchestra, and audiences around the world, that on the musical stage anything is possible, from performing entire concert programmes from memory to using cutting-edge lighting design and digital soundscapes to transform the concert experience. And as a recording artist he is as prolific and eclectic at the age of 50 as he ever has been, releasing albums of Tchaikovsky and Max Richter with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, mixing and producing the orchestra’s ‘Musical Chain’ series of singles and music videos, releasing the first album of his original compositions, and establishing his own record label, all in the last two years.

With his individual and eclectic programming, Kristjan has honoured the musical culture of the Baltic Sea region and represented the multinational membership of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. He has also built bridges between the old and the new, whether that’s reimagining classic Tchaikovsky ballets for the 21st century, or juxtaposing Baroque masterpieces with contemporary Minimalism, or turning an orchestra into a giant rock band, as when the Baltic Sea Philharmonic played with the indie group Bastille at the Elbphilharmonie.

From all musicians and the entire team at the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, happy birthday Kristjan!