Paavo Järvi & Ksenija Sidorova

Arvo Pärt celebrates his 90th birthday on 11 September 2025 - and we are celebrating with Paavo Järvi conducting two works by the Estonian composer, whom he has known since childhood. They are still closely connected today: Arvo Pärt was in the audience at Paavo Järvi's first concert as Music Director at the Tonhalle Maag, and he was Creative Chair in the 2020/21 season. Before performances, they often exchange ideas in telephone conversations that last far longer than the works themselves. As simple as Pärt's music may seem, it is difficult to play: "You have to create the context for these sounds, understand the atmosphere, find a common breath," says Paavo Järvi. A common breath - in the literal or instrumental sense - is also required in the accordion concerto by Estonian Tonu Kõrvits: the solo part is played by Ksenija Sidorova, who gave the world premiere together with our Music Director in Pärnu in August 2024. The last work, on the other hand, Mozart's "Prague" Symphony, takes us to completely different realms in terms of time and geography.