“What is so enchantingly charming and magical about this time forgotten place? The concentration of the musicians who gather around Paavo Järvi is the one thing. And the absolute absence of any pretention”
Die Welt
“The world-famous Järvi conducting dynasty, hand-crafted musicians, a modern concert hall and the historical buildings are Pärnu’s ingredients for the musical event in the so-called “summer capital of Estonia” … Musicians from all over Europe came to Pärnu to become part of a summer festival of the generations. Many of them are Estonians who work abroad. Others have been infected by their enthusiasm. And the Estonian music scene is concentrated for two weeks in the small coastal town, where the Järvi family opens a window into an ideal music world”
Deutschlandfunk kultur
“Paavo Järvi calls, and everyone comes. The best musicians from Estonia, the Baltics and international orchestras such as Bremen, Paris, Frankfurt and Cincinnati. Now the Estonian Festival Orchestra was performing for the first time outside its musical home in Pärnu — The orchestra was in the magical Latvian seaside resort of Jürmala, located on the Riga Sea, about 12 km from the Latvian capital. Ursula Magnes reports on a touching, Baltic August evening. In January 2018 the EFO will be a guest at the Konzerthaus in Vienna.
Radio Klassik Stephansdom
Audiences at home can also discover the Estonian Festival Orchestra for themselves as tonight’s final Pärnu Festival concert with star soloist Lisa Batshiavili will be broadcast live on Estonian Radio and available to stream. From Saturday 19th August Paavo takes the orchestra on its maiden voyage across the Baltic Sea to perform at festivals in Finland (Turku), Denmark (Copenhagen) and Sweden (Stockholm).