Neeme Järvi

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The head of a musical dynasty, Neeme Järvi is one of today’s most esteemed maestros. He conducts the world’s most prominent orchestras and works alongside soloists of the highest calibre. Over his long and highly successful career he has held chief conductor positions across the world with orchestras such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, among others. He is currently Honorary Artistic Director for Life of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Emeritus of both the Residentie Orchestra The Hague and Detroit Symphony Orchestra. He also holds the titles of Principal Conductor Emeritus of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Conductor Laureate of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. He spent three summers between 2013 and 2016 as Head of Conducting and Artistic Advisor of the Gstaad Conducting Academy. He has enjoyed recent engagements with European orchestras such as the Berliner Philharmoniker, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and Orchestre national de France, as well as major orchestras in the USA and throughout Asia. In November 2023 he conducted a highly successful tour of China, and in May 2024 he took over three concerts with the Chicago Symphony with Mahler 2, which were highly acclaimed.

A prolific recording artist, Neeme Järvi has amassed a discography of nearly 500 recordings. He has been a star recording artist with Chandos Records for over thirty years, his most recent releases, with orchestras such as the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, including discs of the three full-length ballets of Tchaikovsky and works by Joachim Raff, Kurt Atterberg, Saint-Saëns, and Martinů. Whilst highlights of his extensive discography for international record companies include critically acclaimed complete cycles of works by many of the great composers, he has also championed less widely known composers such as Wilhelm Stenhammar, Hugo Alfvén, and Niels W. Gade, as well as composers from his native Estonia, including Rudolf Tobias and Arvo Pärt. In September 2018 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the magazine Gramophone.

Neeme Järvi has been honoured with many international prizes and accolades. Named as one of the ‘Estonians of the Century’, he holds various awards from his native country, including an honorary doctorate from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre in Tallinn, and honorary doctorates from Wayne State University in Detroit, the universities of Michigan and Aberdeen, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. He has also been appointed Commander of the North Star Order by King Karl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

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Selected reviews

"...his tempos were crisp, the balances refined... a powerful reading that brought out the sense of tragic loss that the composer intended to convey... In the hands of a masterful conductor like Järvi, the differentiated timbres made this performance compelling... The work's logic took shape in the effective reading that Jarvi gave this challenging score, as he led the forces with consummate style." - James L. Zychowicz, Seen and Heard International, 28th May 2024

"...a detailed, commanding account of Mahler’s vast symphony. CSO’s performance with Järvi captured its panoply of human imagery: joy, anxiety, optimism, pain and, as countless billions have shared with Mahler, a vision of transmigration. The torrential outpouring of thanks from the packed house offered compelling testimony to the potency of art, the Chicago Symphony’s artistic splendor and the perdurable mastery of an interpretive artist whose spark belies, or perhaps bespeaks, his 87 years." - Lawrence B. Johnson, Chicago on the Aisle, 28th May 2024

“...a dramatic, gleaming and aptly spectacular performance of the “Resurrection” symphony... the venerable conductor directed the music vigorously, from the forceful opening violin tremolo and whipcrack statement of the emphatic main theme by cellos and basses... Järvi handled the when-worlds-collide finale with a veteran’s unruffled aplomb, giving the fanfares and alarums atmospheric impact and deftly handling the on- and offstage excursions of the extra brass players. The hushed entrance of the chorus at “Auferstehen” was duly magical, glowing and textured...

The conductor built the epic final movement inexorably to a truly imposing and majestic coda of confidence in life after death. The chorus, soloists, chiming bells, and eleven horns with bells up—a striking visual—all combined for a triumphant and uplifting finale..." - Lawrence A. Johnson, Chicago Classical Review, 24th May 2024

“...Järvi conducted a stunning performance of Mahler's Symphony no.2...The conductor had a deliberate and controlled hand at the helm, with lyrical yet well-paced gestures, intimate with the orchestra... Orchestra Hall was sold out; the audience beforehand buzzing with anticipation, and afterwards the building rang for many minutes with the sound of standing ovation and cheers..."

- Debra Davy, Splash Magazines, 25th May 2024

“Under the baton of the legendary conductor Neeme Järvi, the Belgrade Philharmonic held a concert at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing on Tuesday and was given a ten-minute standing ovation after the performance of compositions by Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Berlioz. The audience reacted with big rounds of applause after a masterful performance of Verdi's overture from the opera La forza del destino, Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique - and young Giovanni Zanon joined as a soloist in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. As in the previous concerts in Xi'an and Weifang, the audience in Beijing did not let the Philharmonic leave the stage until they had played all three encores. Thus, the orchestra symbolically united two cultures by performing the favorite Chinese song My Home and Turtle Dove by Stevan Hristic, and the guest performance ended in a very emotional and solemn tone with Sibelius' Andante Festivo.” - China Daily.com, 17th November 2023

“Maestro Nim Järvi and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra celebrate 100th anniversary with stunning performance in Xi’an. The concert featured a magical performance of Beethoven’s “Ode to Dance”, “Seventh Symphony,” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” that captivated the audience for over two hours. Despite being 86 years old, Maestro Järvi exhibited unmatched energy as he led the orchestra through the music. The audience was treated to an unforgettable performance filled with emotion and intensity, culminating in applause from the fans.

The concert has left an indelible mark on the city and is a testament to the power of music in bringing people together.” - November 9, 2023