Estonian Festival Orchestra make Carnegie Hall debut with Arvo Pärt

Paavo Järvi and the Estonian Festival Orchestra in Carnegie Hall

Hans Christian Aavik, Midori and the Estonian Festival Orchestra

By David Wolfson, 24 October 2025

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“Järvi... teased out an arresting progression from anguish through melancholy to resignation”

Reviewed at Carnegie Hall: Stern Auditorium, New York City on 23 October 2025

Pärt, Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten

Pärt, Perpetuum mobile

Pärt, La Sindone

Pärt, Adam's Lament

Pärt, Tabula rasa

Pärt, Fratres

Pärt, Swansong

Pärt, Credo

Estonian Festival Orchestra

Paavo Järvi, Conductor

Midori, Violin

Hans Christian Aavik, Violin

Nico Muhly, Piano

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Tõnu Kaljuste, Choirmaster / chorus director

Bizet raises the roof at the Pärnu Music Festival

Peter Quantrill, 13th July

The Estonian Festival Orchestra is on scintillating form in a rare outing for Roma, Bizet's own “Italian Symphony”.

****1

Sol Gabetta shines in Dvořák with the Estonian Festival Orchestra

Chanda VanderHart, 24th January

The Estonian Festival Orchestra revels in Dvořák and Tchaikovsky on the Vienna leg of its European tour with Paavo Järvi.

****1

Blistering Buchbinder, trenchant Järvi at the Elbphilharmonie

Alexander Hall, 16th August

Sometimes artists surprise, but in a wholly positive way: nothing remotely bland about Buchbinder's approach to Beethoven's C minor concerto and a Tchaikovsky 1 streets ahead of Järvi's recent recording.

*****

Smiles of a summer night: Paavo Järvi at the Pärnu Music Festival

Richard Bratby, 15th July

New music, old friends and supercharged Strauss from the Estonian Festival Orchestra.

****1

Estonian Festival Orchestra covers itself in glory in Pärnu

Alexander Hall, 16th July

In a programme of Lutosławski, Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky conducted by Paavo Järvi, there are no weak links in the playing of the EFO and Stefan Dohr’s versatility on the horn is once again on display.

*****

Business as usual: Paavo Järvi gets the band back together in Pärnu

Mark Pullinger, 15th July

The Estonian Festival Orchestra reunites under its founder at the eleventh edition of the Pärnu Music Festival.

****1

More reviews...

David Wolfson

David Wolfson holds a PhD in composition from Rutgers University, and has taught at Rutgers University, Montclair State University and Hunter College. He is enjoying an eclectic career, having composed opera, musical theatre, touring children’s musicals, and incidental music for plays; choral music, band music, orchestral music, chamber music, art songs, and music for solo piano; comedy songs, cabaret songs and one memorable score for an amusement park big-headed-costumed-character show. You can find more information here.

Estonian Festival Orchestra make Carnegie Hall debut with an evening of Arvo Pärt