Järvi says music can introduce Estonia to China

Conductor Paavo Järvi says the Estonian Festival Orchestra’s upcoming Asian tour is intended to introduce Estonia to audiences who still see it as part of Russia, ERR reported. Speaking on the broadcaster’s culture programme Delta, he said music was a way to earn respect in China, where he believes Estonia has little else that people recognise or value.

The orchestra begins its second Asian tour next week, travelling to South Korea for the second time and to China for the first. All tickets for its concerts in both countries have sold out, Järvi said.

Järvi described China and South Korea as very different cultural environments. He said classical music audiences in South Korea are younger than those in Japan, and that South Korean musicians have become highly successful in competitions and prominent orchestral positions.

His time leading Tokyo’s NHK Symphony Orchestra also changed how he viewed European classical music, he said. Järvi said audiences in Japan embrace the genre as part of their culture, while South Korea’s young audience brings strong enthusiasm to it.

The tour programme pairs Estonian and Nordic music with a broader European classical repertoire. It includes works by Erkki-Sven Tüür.