UBS VERBIER FESTIVAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA DIR. PAAVO JÄRVI

UBS VERBIER FESTIVAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA

Since its inception in 2000, the UBS VERBISM FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA has achieved an outstanding international reputation for quality, vitality and commitment under its conductor Laureate James Levine. The orchestra, consisting of 100 musicians aged 17 to 29 representing some 30 countries.

In addition to being the Orchestra in Residence at the Verbier Festival in Verbier, Switzerland, each summer, the orchestra tours internationally each fall. In November 2007, it tours the United States and Europe with Martha Argerich and Charles Dutoit.

The orchestra has performed with many of the world’s top conductors, including James Levine, Herbert Blomstedt, Sir Andrew Davis, Christoph von Dohnányi, Charles Dutoit, Claus Peter Flor, Daniele Gatti, Valery Gergiev, Manfred Honeck, Neeme Järvi, Kurt Masur, Zubin Mehta, Kent Nagano, Gianandrea Noseda, Mikhail Pletnev, Mstislav Rostropovich, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Yuri Temirkanov and Michael Tilson Thomas. The notable list of internationally renowned soloists who have performed with the orchestra includes Leif Ove Andsnes, Martha Argerich, Yuri Bashmet, Joshua Bell, Sarah Chang, Renée Fleming, Hilary Hahn, Barbara Hendricks, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Yundi Li, Mischa Maisky, Anne-Sophie Mutter, Mikhail Pletnev, Thomas Quasthoff, Julian Rachlin, Vadim Repin, Bryn Terfel and Maxim Vengerov.

The orchestra’s growing international reputation, coupled with its unique worldwide composition, has made it a coveted guest to perform at major international and cultural events. It was invited to play for delegates at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2003, while in recent years smaller chamber ensembles have performed at the annual meeting of the Nobel Foundation, the anniversary of the International Olympic Committee, Switzerland’s Expo.02, the Art 34 art fair in Basel, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, and for the 2006 spring membership meeting of the International Institute of Finance.

The UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra is considered one of the world’s leading training orchestras. Each year, senior members of the New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra train the orchestra in the weeks leading up to the Verbier Festival. This invaluable orchestral training and the experience of working with great conductors and soloists has helped launch the professional careers of many former orchestra members. Orchestra alumni have joined the world’s leading orchestras, including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Vienna Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Russian National Orchestra and the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich.

The UBS Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, composed of the best musicians and alumni of the symphony orchestra, was created in 2005 as a smaller ensemble capable of performing chamber orchestra repertoire at the highest level. Its size allows it to play in more intimate venues and gives it the flexibility to tour throughout the year, complementing the activities of the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra.

With the success of the Verbier Festival Orchestra and the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, UBS has created an influential model for supporting cultural projects that reflect the shared values of teamwork, exceptional performance and passionate commitment. Both orchestras are managed by the Fondation de l’Orchestre de Verbier, a Swiss-based non-profit organization that promotes cultural, artistic and musical excellence through its support of young musicians.

DIR. PAAVO JÄRVI

Estonian Grammy Award-winning conductor Paavo Järvi is widely recognised as the musicians’ musician, enjoying close partnerships with the finest orchestras around the world. He serves as Chief Conductor of the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich and the NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo, and Artistic Director of Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Estonian Festival Orchestra, of which he is also Founder. He is Conductor Laureate of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Music Director Laureate of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Artistic Advisor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to his permanent positions, Järvi is much in demand as a guest conductor, regularly appearing with the Berliner Philharmoniker, London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, Münchner Philharmoniker, Staatskapelle Dresden and the Orchestre de Paris, where he served as Music Director from 2010 to 2016.

Each season concludes with a week of performances and conducting master-classes at the Pärnu Music Festival in Estonia, which Paavo Järvi founded in 2011 together with his father, Neeme Järvi. The success of both the festival and its resident ensemble – the Estonian Festival Orchestra – has led to a string of high profile invitations including recent performances at the BBC Proms, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie and a tour of Japan.

With an extensive discography, Paavo Järvi’s recent releases include an album of little known orchestral music by Messiaen with the Tonhalle Orchester-Zürich; the third and final volume in the Brahms Symphony cycle with Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen; and the world première recording of Erkki-Sven Tüür’s 9th Symphony Mythos with the Estonian Festival Orchestra.

In 2019 Paavo Järvi was named Conductor of the Year by Germany’s Opus Klassik and received the 2019 Rheingau Music Prize for his artistic achievements with The Deutsche Kammerphilharmoie Bremen in the German orchestral and cultural landscape. Other prizes and honours include a Grammy Award for his recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Artist of the Year by both Gramophone (UK) and Diapason (France) in 2015, and Commandeur de L’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture for his contribution to music in France. As a dedicated supporter of Estonian culture, he was awarded the Order of the White Star by the President of Estonia in 2013 and in 2015 he was presented with the Sibelius Medal in recognition of his work in bringing the Finnish composer’s music to a wider public.

Born in Tallinn, Estonia, Paavo Järvi studied Percussion and Conducting at the Tallinn School of Music. In 1980, he moved to the USA where he continued his studies at the Curtis Institute of Music and at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute with Leonard Bernstein.