Paavo Järvi’s 2026–27: guest conducting in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles; Shostakovich and Beethoven with London Philharmonic as Chief Conductor Designate; Mahler 2 album and full season with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich; much more
Paavo Järvi (photo: Kaupo Kikkas)
(September 2026) — Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi – Opus Klassik’s 2019 Conductor of the Year – returns to the U.S. in the 2026–27 season for guest conducting engagements with four major orchestras. He makes his Symphony Hall debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, with a program comprising Sibelius’s Second Symphony and Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante performed by soloist Alisa Weilerstein (Feb 4–6). Later in the spring, Järvi conducts a trio of concerts with Lang Lang and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, over the course of which the pianist performs all five Beethoven Piano Concertos (March 24–27). In April, Järvi guest conducts The Philadelphia Orchestra and pianist Daniil Trifonov in Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto, sharing the bill with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 (April 23–25), and soon thereafter goes west for a performance of Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, programmed with Estonian composer Helena Tulve’s Wand’ring Bark and Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto performed by soloist Vilde Frang (April 29 & May 1). In the midst of these U.S. engagements, Järvi leads the London Philharmonic – of which he is Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor Designate – in two performances that juxtapose piano soloist Benjamin Grosvenor’s performance of Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 and the Overture No. 2 by another Estonian, the late Veljo Tormis (Feb 17 & 20).
In his eighth season as Music Director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Järvi follows up recent releases of Mahler’s First, Fifth, and Seventh Symphonies on Alpha Classics with an October release of the same composer’s “Resurrection” Symphony No. 2. Järvi also leads a full season of live programs with the orchestra, both at home in Zurich and on tour in Germany and Austria, with highlights including a season-opening program with pianist Khatia Buniatishvili performing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto and Scriabin’s Fourth Symphony, “La Poème de l’extase” (Sep 16–18); multiple programs centered on Mahler’s Sixth “Tragic” Symphony (Nov 11–13; 21–28); Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 – in Mahler’s arrangement – and Missa Solemnis in successive weeks (May 13–15; 21–23), plus numerous performances of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 (Sep 4–10; Jan 21–24); and much more. Järvi’s season is rounded out by concerts with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, which he has led for more than two decades (Dec 7–17; March 3 & 5); with the Estonian Festival Orchestra on tour in Korea and China (Oct 14–25); with the National Orchestra of France in two programs respectively featuring pianists Emanuel Ax and Mikhail Pletnev (Oct 1 & 8); and with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra (Feb 12); Luxembourg Philharmonic (Feb 26), Berlin Philharmonic (April 8–10), and Tokyo’s NHK Symphony Orchestra (May 8 & 9).
Return to U.S. and London Philharmonic
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’s Second Symphony premiered in 1902, following on the outstanding success of his patriotic tone poem Finlandia and sharing that work’s deeply Finnish character. Järvi has long been praised for his Sibelius interpretations, receiving the Sibelius Medal in 2015 for outstanding achievement in the promotion of the Finnish composer’s music and recording a rapturously received complete cycle of Sibelius symphonies with the Orchestre de Paris a few years later. He conducts Sibelius’s Second Symphony for his Symphony Hall debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra this season. To complete the program, Järvi leads cellist Alisa Weilerstein – the BSO’s Artist in Residence for the season – in a performance of Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, a work originally composed for up-and-coming Russian superstar Mstislav Rostropovich and completed just a year before the composer’s death (Feb 4–6).
Järvi will become Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the London Philharmonic in 2028–29, and in the coming season he leads the orchestra in performances in London and Manchester of Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, most of which was composed soon after the death of Stalin and which is often interpreted as a depiction of his iron-fisted rule over Soviet Russia. The program opens with the equally ominous Overture No. 2 by Järvi’s fellow Estonian, the late Veljo Tormis, and also features pianist Benjamin Grosvenor in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, one of the many major works of Beethoven Järvi leads with a range of orchestras this season (Feb 17 & 20).
Long celebrated as an interpreter of the works of Beethoven, Järvi’s release of the complete symphonies with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen earned him the ECHO Klassik Conductor of the Year award in 2010. In the spring, Järvi conducts three all-Beethoven concerts with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, centering on pianist Lang Lang’s performance of all five Beethoven Piano Concertos. Lang Lang’s first big break was with the same orchestra, when at the age of 17 he substituted for André Watts at the Gala of the Century, performing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach. Järvi’s first program with Lang Lang comprises Concertos 1 and 4 along with the Overture to Fidelio; the second features Concertos 2 and 3 along with the Consecration of the House Overture; and on the final program, Järvi leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s Overture to the ballet The Creatures of Prometheus and Symphony No. 4, before the pianist completes the cycle with the “Emperor” Concerto No. 5 (March 24–27).
A month later, Järvi guest conducts The Philadelphia Orchestra and pianist Daniil Trifonov in Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto, sharing the bill with Tchaikovsky’s beloved Symphony No. 5. The program opens with Aditus by Järvi’s countryman Erkki-Sven Tüür, a work the conductor released in 2003 with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on an all-Tüür album (April 23–25). This follows Trifonov’s January performance of the same concerto with Järvi leading the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, with the program also including Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 7 (Jan 16).
Järvi’s guest-conducting engagements in the U.S. are rounded out at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he leads Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, Bartók’s Second Violin Concerto with Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang as soloist, and Wand’ring Bark by Estonian composer Helena Tulve, who studied with Erkki-Sven Tüür. Järvi has championed the music of both Estonian composers, and he commissioned Tulve’s work for Estonia’s Pärnu Music Festival, which he founded and directs (April 29; May 1).
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich Mahler 7 on Alpha Classics and Mahler highlights
Järvi and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich – a nominee for Gramophone’s 2026 Orchestra of the Year – launched their Mahler cycle on Alpha Classics in 2025 with releases of both the Fifth Symphony and the First. The latter recording was named a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice” for November 2025, with the review declaring:
“I do believe this is one of the best – perhaps even the best – account of Mahler’s precocious First Symphony that I’ve heard on disc since the celebrated Bernstein/Concertgebouw version. … Paavo Järvi and his Zurich orchestra really do make it feel and sound brand new. Its daring colourations are relished, its youthful audacity writ large. Everything is ripe and vivid. … Put simply this account rekindles much of the excitement that I for one experienced in hearing the piece for the first time. Heartily recommended.”
This past spring, Järvi and the orchestra continued the cycle with the release of Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, and in October they release the “Resurrection” Symphony No. 2. Soloists Mari Eriksmoen – who also joins the Tonhalle and Järvi for Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in the spring – and Anna Lucia Richter are featured on the album, along with the Zürcher Sing-Akademie. Mahler completed the “Resurrection” Symphony in 1894, after more than six years of work during a difficult period of his life. In a letter dated 1896, he wrote: “When you wake from this melancholy dream and have to return to life and its chaos, it can easily happen that this ceaselessly moving, never resting and always incomprehensible bustle of life becomes horrifying to you.”
Mahler is also a frequent presence in live performances with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich this season. Järvi conducts his “Tragic” Symphony No. 6 (Nov 11–13) and Symphony No. 5 (Nov 18 & 19) in Zurich – the latter performances also including the world premiere of a new orchestral work by Swiss composer David Philip Hefti – before taking both symphonies on tour in Germany, the Netherlands, and Austria (Nov 21–28). Later in the season Mahler is prominent again, this time as the arranger of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony (May 13–15). Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich’s focus artist Wayne Marshall – who is also featured in Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Rhapsody No. 2 this fall (Sep 23–25) – introduces the symphony with organ improvisations. Mahler’s opulent orchestration, created in view of the fact that concert halls had become much larger since Beethoven’s time, particularly amplifies the wind instrumentation, with winds also frequently playing string parts.
Other orchestras
Järvi’s release of Beethoven’s complete symphonies with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen – for which the orchestra became the first ever to receive the honorary prize of the German Record Critics’ Award – is just one example of their critically praised discography. The first two volumes of their cycle of Schubert symphonies were released on Sony Classical in 2025–26. The first volume was a Gramophone “Editor’s Choice” for January 2026, with critic Richard Wigmore commenting: “Järvi and his Bremen players moved me as much as any performance I know.” On tour with the orchestra in December, Järvi conducts Schubert’s Second Symphony and “Italian” Overture along with Schumann’s Cello Concerto, performed by soloist Truls Mørk (Dec 7–17). A second set of performances with the orchestra in March capitalizes on their Beethoven expertise, featuring the Fourth Symphony and Overture to The Consecration of the House, along with violinist Bomsori Kim’s performance of Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto (March 3 & 5).
Järvi’s prolific and lauded recording output also includes the recent release of the all-Arvo Pärt album Credo with the Estonian Festival Orchestra on Alpha Classics, recorded at the 2025 Pärnu Festival, where the orchestra is the resident ensemble. The album was part of a series of celebrations of Pärt on his 90th birthday that also saw the orchestra make its North American debut in Carnegie Hall, when The Wall Street Journal declared: “Mr. Järvi led a scorching performance, with the orchestra and both choruses gratifyingly unconstrained.” This season, Järvi and the orchestra tour Korea and China with rotating programs featuring Estonian composers Erkki-Sven Tüür and Arvo Pärt, Brahms, Rachmaninov, and Sibelius, with violinist Clara-Jumi Kang and pianists Vadym Kholodenko and Alexandre Kantorow joining different parts of the tour as soloists (Oct 14–25). Back in Estonia after the New Year, Järvi helps the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra celebrate its 100th anniversary year with a performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis in Tallinn along with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir (Feb 12).
Recent successes
The 2026 Pärnu Music Festival – building on the success of the previous year’s focus on longtime Järvi family friend Arvo Pärt – celebrated 35 years of renewed Estonian independence. Praising Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra’s performance of Carl Nielsen’s Third Symphony, Bachtrack declared: “Järvi’s account of Nielsen’s ambitious Sinfonia espansiva was mightily thrilling, a reading of grandeur and glory that will live long in the memory.” The program also featured the world premiere of Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits’s Viola Concerto with soloist Amihai Grosz, which the same reviewer found “both immediately appealing and entirely convincing.”
Järvi’s summer performances at the BBC Proms also came in for critical praise, as London anticipates the advent in two seasons of his new role with the London Philharmonic. The Times wrote of his performance of Scriabin’s Second Symphony: “It’s one of the composer’s least performed orchestral works, and possibly no conductor was better placed to sell it than Järvi, well attuned to the late-19th-century idiom but also celebrated for keeping it clear and cogent. And it was, the BBC Symphony Orchestra expertly calibrated.” The Guardian was likewise complimentary of Järvi’s conducting: “Here, on the podium with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, he proved a model of calm, control and clarity as well as the most sensitive of accompanists, shepherding a breathtaking account of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto by Leonidas Kavakos.”
Paavo Järvi: 2026–27 season
Sep 16-18
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich Season Opening
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano
TCHAIKOVSKY: Concerto for Piano No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23
Dieter AMMANN: Boost
SCRIABIN: Symphony No. 4, Op. 54, “La Poème de l’extase”
Sep 23–25
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Wayne Marshall, piano
Repertoire selected from:
FAURÉ: Pelléas et Mélisande Suite, Op. 80
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra
BIZET: Symphony No. 2, “Roma”
Oct 1
Paris, France
Radio and Music House–Auditorium
National Orchestra of France
Emanuel Ax, piano
MOZART: Don Giovanni Overture
MOZART: Concerto for Piano No. 25 in C, K503
SCRIABIN: Symphony No. 2
Oct 8
Paris, France
Radio and Music House- Auditorium
Mikhail Pletnev, piano
CHOPIN: Piano Concerto No. 2
SIBELIUS: Tapiola
SCRIABIN: Poem of Ecstasy
Oct 14–25: Estonian Festival Orchestra tour of Korea and China
Oct 14: Tallinn, Estonia (Estonia Concert Hall)
Oct 18: Incheon, Korea (Incheon Culture & Arts Center)
Oct 20: Seoul, Korea (Seoul Arts Centre)
Oct 22 & 23: Shanghai, China (Shanghai Arts Festival)
Oct 24 & 25: Beijing, China (National Centre for the Performing Arts Beijing)
Vadym Kholodenko, piano (Oct 14)
Clara-Jumi Kang, violin (Oct 18 & 20)
Alexandre Kantorow, piano (all other dates)
Repertoire selected from:
Erkki-Sven TÜÜR: Passion
Erkki-Sven TÜÜR: Illusion
Arvo PÄRT: Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten
BRAHMS: Violin Concerto
BRAHMS: Concerto for Piano No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
BRAHMS: Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68
RACHMANINOV: Concerto for Piano No. 2 in C minor, Op.18
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat, Op. 82
Nov 4–6
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Hayato Sumino, piano
Dieter AMMANN: Turn
PROKOFIEV: Concerto for Piano No. 3 in C, Op. 26
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 4, Op. 112
Nov 11–13
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 in A minor, “Tragic”
Nov 18 & 19
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Lisa Larsson, soprano
David Philip HEFTI: new work for orchestra (world premiere)
STENHAMMAR: Four Songs from Idyll and Epigram, Op. 4
GRIEG: Three songs: “Fra Monte Pincio,” “En Svane,” “Jeg elsker dig”
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Nov 21–28: European tour with Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Nov 21: Baden Baden, Germany
Hayato Sumino, piano
BERNSTEIN: Overture from Candide
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor
Nov 22: Baden Baden, Germany
Nov 24: Amsterdam, Netherlands (Concertgebouw)
Nov 25 & 26: Hamburg, Germany (Elbphilharmonie)
Nov 28: Vienna, Austria (Konzerthaus)
MAHLER: Symphony No. 6 in A minor, “Tragic” (Nov 22, 24, 26, 28)
David Philip HEFTI: new work for orchestra (Nov 25)
MAHLER: Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor (Nov 25)
Dec 7–17: Tour with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
Dec 7, 8, 9: Bremen, Germany (Die Glocke)
Dec 10: Brussels, Belgium (Palais des Beaux-Arts)
Dec 17: Hamburg, Germany (Elbphilharmonie)
Truls Mørk, cello
SCHUBERT: Overture for orchestra in D, D 590, “Italian”
SCHUMANN: Cello concerto in A minor, Op. 129
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 2 in B-flat, D 125
Jan 16
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Daniil Trifonov, piano
PROKOFIEV: Concerto for Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131 with revised ending
Jan 21–24
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Frank Peter Zimmermann, violin
BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture, Op. 84 (Jan 22–24)
HINDEMITH: Concerto for Violin (1939) (Jan 22–24)
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7 in A, Op. 92
Jan 27–29
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Katharina Konradi, soprano
Marie-Henriette Reinhold, mezzo-soprano
Benjamin Bruns, tenor
Tareq Nazmi, bass
STRAVINSKY: Symphony of Psalms (1948 revision)
MOZART: Requiem, K626
Feb 4–6
Boston, MA
Boston Symphony Hall
Boston Symphony Orchestra
Alisa Weilerstein, cello
PROKOFIEV: Sinfonia Concertante for Cello and Orchestra in E minor, Op. 125
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2 in D, Op. 43
Feb 12
Tallinn, Estonia
Estonia Concert Hall
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra
Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
BEETHOVEN: Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123
Feb 17
London, England
Royal Festival Hall
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
TORMIS: Overture No. 2
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10
Feb 20
Manchester, England
Bridgewater Hall
London Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
TORMIS: Overture No. 2
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10
Feb 26
Luxembourg
Philharmonie Luxembourg
Christina Landshamer, soprano
Wiebke Lehmkuhl, mezzo-soprano
Patrick Grahl, tenor
Gabriel Rollinson, bass
Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra
Zürcher Sing-Akademie
BEETHOVEN: Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123
March 3 & 5: German tour with Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen
March 3: Cologne, Germany (Cologne Philharmonie)
March 5: Hamburg, Germany (Elbphilharmonie)
Bomsori Kim, violin
BEETHOVEN: Overture to The Consecration of the House
STRAVINSKY: Concerto for Violin in D
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat, Op. 60
March 10–12
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Lisa Batiashvili, violin
DEBUSSY: Three Nocturnes: I. Nuages, II. Fêtes
SZYMANOWSKI: Concerto for Violin No. 1
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 8 in G, Op. 88
March 17, 18m, 18, 19
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Giorgi Gigashvili, piano
Repertoire selected from:
BEETHOVEN: Fidelio Overture, Op. 72
RAVEL: Concerto for Piano in G
STENHAMMAR: Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34
March 24
Chicago, IL
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Lang Lang, piano
BEETHOVEN: Overture to Fidelio
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4
March 26
Chicago, IL
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Lang Lang, piano
BEETHOVEN: Consecration of the House Overture
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 2
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 3
March 27
Chicago, IL
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Lang Lang, piano
BEETHOVEN: Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 4
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
April 8–10
Berlin, Germany
Philharmonie Berlin
Berliner Philharmoniker
Christian Tetzlaff, violin
Arvo PÄRT: Silhouette, Hommage à Gustave Eiffel
SHOSTAKOVICH: Concerto for Violin No. 2, Op. 129
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5 in B-flat, Op. 100
April 23–25
Philadelphia, PA
Marian Anderson Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Daniil Trifonov, piano
Erkki-Sven TÜÜR: Aditus
PROKOFIEV: Concerto for Piano No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64
April 29 & May 1
Los Angeles, CA
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Los Angeles Philharmonic
Vilde Frang, violin
Helena TULVE: Wand’ring Bark
BARTÓK: Violin Concerto No. 2
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 3
May 8 & 9
Tokyo, Japan
NHK Hall
NHK Symphony Orchestra
Denis Kozhukhin, piano
GRIEG: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 16
STENHAMMAR: Symphony No. 2 in G minor, Op. 34
May 13–15
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Mari Eriksmoen, soprano
Catriona Morison, mezzo-soprano
Sebastian Kohlhepp, tenor
Audun Iversen, baritone
Zürcher Sing-Akademie
BEETHOVEN (arr. MAHLER): Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125
May 21–23
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Julia Kleiter, soprano
Wiebke Lehmkuhl, mezzo-soprano
Maximilian Schmitt, tenor
Christof Fischesser, bass
Zürcher Sing-Akademie
BEETHOVEN: Missa Solemnis in D, Op.123
June 16 & 17
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich
Khatia Buniatishvili, piano
GRIEG: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 16
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 1 in G minor, Op. 13, “Winter Daydreams”
June 18
Zurich, Switzerland
Tonhalle Youth Orchestra Zürich
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36