Guest conductor loves working with young orchestras
Guest conductor loves working with young orchestras
by Lawrence Budmen
The Miami Herald
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Conductor Paavo Jarvi remembers his first experience conducting the young musicians of the New World Symphony. ''I was rehearsing a work by my friend Erkki-Sven Tuur,'' Jarvi says by phone from his home base in Cincinnati. "The New World musicians really identified with the music from the point of view of rock. They understood when I told them to play this piece like Led Zeppelin.''
Jarvi, who is conducting a series of three concerts this weekend with the New World players at the Lincoln Theater, has directed the UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Russian-American Young Artists' Orchestra. ''I love working with youth orchestras,'' he says. "The musicians have fewer preconceived ideas and bring tremendous energy to their playing. With young ensembles I always make sure the program pushes the orchestra further. I try to inject a sense of curiosity and adventure.''
The music of Danish composer Carl Nielsen will be Jarvi's adventure this weekend. ''Nielsen deserves more recognition,'' Jarvi says emphatically. ``This is music that is looking for a good champion.''
Jarvi is music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and also is artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, a touring chamber orchestra based in Bremen, and artistic advisor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in Tallinn.
Jarvi's father Neemi is a distinguished Estonian conductor soon to become music director of both the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Hague Residentie Orchestra. ''He is an erudite musician who gave me a sense of curiosity. His enthusiasm always ignited when he learned about new works and new composers. He really enjoys the process of music making,'' Paavo Jarvi says.
Paavo's brother Kristjan Jarvi is conductor of the New York-based Absolute Ensemble, and his sister Maarika Jarvi is a solo flutist.
In four seasons at Cincinnati, Paavo has rejuvenated that venerable ensemble -- the fifth oldest in the United States. ''Our support is tremendously strong. The orchestra really matters to the community,'' he says.
Jarvi will be recording the Concertos for Orchestra of Bela Bartok and Witold Lutoslawski when he returns to Cincinnati. He calls the Lutoslawski "a great work that is not absolutely standard repertoire.''
This weekend, Jarvi will conduct Nielsen's Symphony No. 6. ''The Sixth Symphony was written in the first quarter of the 20th century [1925] at the time of Walton and Copland. The musical language is fantastic, wonderfully strange and extremely original,'' Jarvi says.
Mozart's Symphony No. 39 will complete the program. Jarvi's approach to Mozart's score has been greatly influenced by the period instrument movement. He calls it "shocking and powerful . . . a totally different sound.''
by Lawrence Budmen
The Miami Herald
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Conductor Paavo Jarvi remembers his first experience conducting the young musicians of the New World Symphony. ''I was rehearsing a work by my friend Erkki-Sven Tuur,'' Jarvi says by phone from his home base in Cincinnati. "The New World musicians really identified with the music from the point of view of rock. They understood when I told them to play this piece like Led Zeppelin.''
Jarvi, who is conducting a series of three concerts this weekend with the New World players at the Lincoln Theater, has directed the UBS Verbier Festival Youth Orchestra, the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Russian-American Young Artists' Orchestra. ''I love working with youth orchestras,'' he says. "The musicians have fewer preconceived ideas and bring tremendous energy to their playing. With young ensembles I always make sure the program pushes the orchestra further. I try to inject a sense of curiosity and adventure.''
The music of Danish composer Carl Nielsen will be Jarvi's adventure this weekend. ''Nielsen deserves more recognition,'' Jarvi says emphatically. ``This is music that is looking for a good champion.''
Jarvi is music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and also is artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, a touring chamber orchestra based in Bremen, and artistic advisor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra in Tallinn.
Jarvi's father Neemi is a distinguished Estonian conductor soon to become music director of both the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Hague Residentie Orchestra. ''He is an erudite musician who gave me a sense of curiosity. His enthusiasm always ignited when he learned about new works and new composers. He really enjoys the process of music making,'' Paavo Jarvi says.
Paavo's brother Kristjan Jarvi is conductor of the New York-based Absolute Ensemble, and his sister Maarika Jarvi is a solo flutist.
In four seasons at Cincinnati, Paavo has rejuvenated that venerable ensemble -- the fifth oldest in the United States. ''Our support is tremendously strong. The orchestra really matters to the community,'' he says.
Jarvi will be recording the Concertos for Orchestra of Bela Bartok and Witold Lutoslawski when he returns to Cincinnati. He calls the Lutoslawski "a great work that is not absolutely standard repertoire.''
This weekend, Jarvi will conduct Nielsen's Symphony No. 6. ''The Sixth Symphony was written in the first quarter of the 20th century [1925] at the time of Walton and Copland. The musical language is fantastic, wonderfully strange and extremely original,'' Jarvi says.
Mozart's Symphony No. 39 will complete the program. Jarvi's approach to Mozart's score has been greatly influenced by the period instrument movement. He calls it "shocking and powerful . . . a totally different sound.''
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