Estonian-born Grammy winner Paavo Järvi is regarded as one of the most important conductors today, working in close partnership with the greatest international orchestras. He is the Music Director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, since 2004 Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra.

In the 2025/26 season, he will continue his Mahler cycle with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, combined with CD recordings. Previous recording projects include cycles of works by Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, Bruckner's symphonies, early orchestral works by Messiaen, and an album dedicated to the orchestral works of John Adams, released on the occasion of the composer's 75th birthday.

Each season, Paavo Järvi concludes with two weeks of concerts and masterclasses at the Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia, which he founded in 2011. The success of the festival and its resident ensemble, the Estonian Festival Orchestra, has led to a series of high-profile invitations.

In addition to his permanent positions, Paavo Järvi is much in demand as a guest conductor, regularly appearing with the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Philharmonia and the New York Philharmonic. He also continues to enjoy close relationships with many of the orchestras of which he was previously Music Director, including Orchestre de Paris, Frankfurt Radio Symphony and NHK Symphony Orchestra.

In 2013, the Estonian president awarded him the Order of the White Star for his commitment to his country’s culture. Further prizes and accolades include a Grammy Award in 2003 for cantatas by Sibelius; in 2015 »Artist of the Year« awarded by Gramophone Magazine (UK) and Diapason (France), as well as the Sibelius Medal; in 2019 »Conductor of the Year« (Opus-Klassik) and the Rheingau Music Prize; and most recently, the 2022 European Cultural Prize (together with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich).