On 2 October, the Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi officially takes office as Chief Conductor and Music Director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich (TOZ). In his suitcase, he will be bringing sounds from the far North and an ambitious objective: 

For the inaugural concerts, which will be given next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 2, 3, and 4 October at Zürich’s Tonhalle Maag, Järvi has chosen Kullervo, Jean Sibelius‘s epic Symphonic Poem. This is a work that has always remained close to Paavo Järvi’s heart and one which he introduces Zürich audiences to for the first time. The large-scale line-up includes soloists Johanna Rusanen and Ville Rusanen and a male choir featuring singers from both the Zürich Sing-Akademie, under the direction of Florian Helgath, and the Estonian National Men’s Choir.

Paavo Järvi will also bring with him to Zürich an amusing and unconventional short composition by fellow Estonian, Arvo Pärt. More than forty years after composing Wenn Bach Bienen gezüchtet hätte… (If Bach Had Raised Bees…), Pärt has created a new and expanded arrangement of his original work especially for Järvi ​‘s inauguration in Zürich for which the composer will be present.

Photos of Paavo on the construction site of the new hall, © Alberto Venzago.