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NEEME JÄRVI

(AOR-16)

TRACK LISTING:

Eduard Tubin
Symphony No. 10 (composed 1973)
Total time (26'05)

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra,
conductor: Neeme Järvi, recorded 1979.

Eduard Tubin
Symphony No. 6 (composed 1954)
1. Andante sostenuto, ma ritmico (9'11)
2. Molto allegro (9'13)
3. Festoso (14'06)
Total time: (32'30)

Estonian Radio Symphony Orchestra,
conductor: Neeme Järvi, recorded 1962.

Neeme Järvi was born in Tallinn, Estonia. He graduated from the Tallinn Music School with degrees in percussion and choral conducting, and continued his studies at the St. Petersburg Conservatory (1955-60), where he received training in opera and symphonic conducting under mentors Nicolai Rabinovich and Yevgeny Mravinsky. He made his conducting debut at the age of 18 in Estonia, and his operatic debut was Bizet's Carmen at the Kirov Theatre. In 1963 Neeme Järvi became Music Director of the Estonian Radio & Television Orchestra, founded the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, and was appointed Chief Conductor of the Opera House Estonia in Tallinn, a position he held for thirteen years. From 1976-1980, he was Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the newly-founded Estonian State Symphony Orchestra.

During the 1960's Järvi gained a reputation far beyond the borders of his native Estonia, appearing regularly with the Leningrad Philharmonic, and conducting major orchestras in Moscow and other important music centers in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and England. He captured the international spotlight in 1971, when he won First Prize at the Conducting Competition of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome. Following this distinction, he received invitations to conduct the leading orchestras and opera companies of Great Britain, Sweden, Holland, Germany, Argentina, Canada and Japan.

In the Soviet Union, he conducted that country's first-ever performances of Der Rosenkevalier, Porgy and Bess and Il Turco in Italia. In 1973 and 1977 he made appearances in the USA with the Leningrad Philharmonic and the Leningrad Symphony, followed by his debut in 1979 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York conducting Eugene Onegin. Maestro Järvi is an acknowledged leader in the crusade to resuscitate neglected works by both popular and lesser-known composers. This philosophy developed early in his career. From the podium of the Estonian State Symphony (which has been renamed the Estonian National Symphony after the Baltic states regained their independence) , he presented many premieres of works by his countryman Eduard Tubin, Aarvo Pärt and others. In 1979, he created a stir when he brought Credo, a Pärt work containing words from the Bible, to the Estonian concert hall. As Järvi had not secured the party's seal of approval for the concert, the ensuing controversy contributed to his decision to emigrate to the West. In January 1980, Neeme Järvi and his family left the Soviet Union and settled in the USA. Just one month later he made his debut appearances with the Boston Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. He was soon making guest appearances with North America's leading orchestras, which led to close associations with the orchestras of Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit. Also at this time Järvi served as Principal Guest Conductor of England's Birmingham Symphony (1981-83), and Music Director of the Royal Scottish Orchestra (1984-1988), of which he is now Conductor Laureate.

Since 1982 he has been Principal Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra of Sweden. In Europe, JŠrvi appears regularly with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Dresden Staatskapelle, the Orchestre National de France and the Orchestre de Paris. In June 1990 he conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. In the fall of 1995, Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra (GSO) conducted a tour of Germany and Austria with concerts in Munich, Cologne, Berlin and Vienna; and appeared later in the season in London and Glasgow. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra in Tokyo, Japan.

In the U.S., Neeme Järvi became the 11th music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on September 1,1990. Internationally acclaimed for his performances with orchestras and opera houses around the world, Mr. JŠrvi is one of today's most sought-after conductors. Järvi makes annual appearances conducting the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Neeme Järvi has recorded many award-winning discs for the Chandos, BIS, Orfeo, and Deutsche Gramophon labels, including releases with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony, the Royal Concertgebouw, the Royal Scottish Orchestra, the London Symphony, the London Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Neeme Järvi was featured on the covers of numerous international magazines including Gramophone, Fanfare, CD Review, Luister and Diapason.

Neeme Järvi holds honorary doctorates from Wayne State University in Detroit, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, the Tallinn Music Academy in Estonia, and Gothenburg University in Sweden. An honorary member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, Järvi was dubbed a Knight Commander of the North Star Order by the King of Sweden in 1990. In addition, the Mahler Society recently honored Mr. Järvi with the Toblach-Mahler Award for "Best New Recording" for his Symphony No. 3 with the Royal Scottish Orchestra.

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Link to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to learn more about Neeme Järvi