After a successful tour of Europe in January, the Estonian Festival Orchestra debuts at both the BBC Proms and at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, lead by Paavo Järvi.

On 13 August the EFO bring a Nordic flavour to the BBC Proms by pairing music by Grieg and Sibelius with Estonia’s own national composer, Arvo Pärt. Pärt’s eclectic Symphony No.3, with its echoes of Renaissance polyphony and Orthodox chant, opens the concert. This is followed by pianist Khatia Buniatishvili performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto, which is matched for sonic drama by Sibelius’s stirring Symphony No.5, which closes the concert. This programme is repeated on 15 August at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg. 

For Paavo Järvi, the creation of the Estonian Festival Orchestra is potentially one of his most important musical achievements to date. It is a recognition of his native country and a celebration of its cultural identity within Europe.​“An important component in creating the Orchestra was to​‘match-make’ the players in a professional way but within the festival atmosphere” says Järvi.​“This unifying spirit is what drives the Orchestra and makes me particularly proud as its father figure.”