Born in Tallinn in 1962, Paavo Järvi is renowned for his dynamic interpretations and innovative programming. He has held prominent positions with leading orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, NHK Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, or the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich more recently. Paavo Järvi's approach combines technical precision with expressive depth, making him a favourite among musicians and audiences alike. His numerous recordings have received prestigious awards (including a Grammy Award for the Sibelius Cantatas), solidifying his reputation as one of the foremost conductors of his generation. He has always been a passionate advocate and tireless interpreter of Nordic composers such as Sibelius, Grieg, and Arvo Pärt, bringing their evocative, atmospheric music to life. The bonus CD includes the first release of Franck’s Symphony, recorded with the Orchestre de Paris in September 2023.
This 31 CD box contains the complete recordings made by Paavo Järvi for Virgin Classics, EMI and Erato. A bonus CD (CD 31) includes the Symphony in D minor by César Franck – recorded in September 2023 with the Orchestre de Paris and previously unpublished –, L’Apprenti sorcier (Dukas) and the 3rd Symphony by Roussel – both having only briefly been released in digital on Google a few years ago.
Liner notes are written by James Jolly, who is Editor Emeritus of Gramophone and who has been following Paavo’s recordings and career for years.
While the repertoire in this box is not short of diversity it gives prominence to Nordic composers such as Jean Sibelius (4CDs), Arvo Pärt (more than 2CDs) or Edvard Grieg (2CDs) for the most famous of them, as well as the rarer Wilhelm Stenhammar, Erkki-Sven Tüür or Eduard Tubin.
Orchestras featured are: Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (8CDs), Orchestre de Paris (7CDs), Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (5CDs), Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (4CDs), Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (3CDs), City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (3CDs)
Awards
Paavo Järvi won a Grammy Award for his recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas (CD 10 of this box) with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. He was named “Artist of the Year” by both Gramophone (UK) and Diapason (France) in 2015. In 2015 also he was presented with the Sibelius Medal in recognition of his work in bringing the Finnish composer’s music to a wider public. As a dedicated supporter of Estonian culture, Paavo Järvi was awarded the Order of the White Star by the President of Estonia in 2013.
