Paavo Järvi, one of the most sought-after conductors of his generation, became the 12th Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in September 2001. Now in his ninth season with the CSO, his dynamic leadership on the Cincinnati podium has captured international attention, attracted new artists to Cincinnati’s historic Music Hall and consistently garnered rave reviews.

In 2009-2010, Maestro Järvi conducts 12 subscription weeks in Cincinnati. He is expanding the 115-year-old orchestra’s repertoire and continues to feature premieres, major artists and innovative programming.

Järvi and the CSO have 16 Telarc recordings to their credit, including a September release featuring Holst’s The Planets and Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra.

Their recordings have garnered critical acclaim, including the 2008 all-Mussorgsky disc which won a Grammy Award for “Best Surround Sound.” The CSO’s 2006 release of Britten and Elgar was honored with two Grammy Awards for production and engineering.

“The buzz around the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under Paavo Järvi is getting louder and stronger,” said David Patrick Stearns of the Philadelphia Inquirer about their recording of Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2.

In 2006, the CSO’s Bartók and Lutosławski Concertos for Orchestra debuted on the Billboard classical chart at number 9, and The New York Times said of it, “Mr. Järvi’s interpretations are everywhere persuasive, and the performances almost uniformly virtuosic. Telarc’s typically expansive sound is especially gratifying…” The 2005 release, Dvořák: Symphony No. 9/Martinů: Symphony No. 2, was named Gramophone “Editor’s Choice.” Its reviewer wrote, “Paavo Järvi reveals his keen imagination and sharp concentration in both performances and under his guidance the Cincinnati SO is consistently excellent: ensemble more than matches that of the rival versions.” Music of Ravel (2004) also was named Gramophone “Editor’s Choice” and was awarded a Diapason d’or.

In addition to his growing discography with the CSO, Mr. Järvi has more than 30 recordings to his credit. He is currently recording a Complete Beethoven Symphony Cycle with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie on the RCA Red Seal label. His Virgin Classics recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Male Choir and Ellerhein Girls Choir won a 2003 Grammy Award for “Best Choral Performance.” Paavo Järvi’s recording of Schumann: Cello Concerto and Bloch: Schelomo featuring Truls Mork and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France was nominated for the “Best Instrumental Soloist” Grammy Award in 2005.

Paavo Järvi’s demand as a guest conductor has led to engagements with the world’s major orchestras including Berlin, St. Petersburg and Vienna philharmonics. He also has conducted the Royal Concertgebouw and Philharmonia orchestras, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Bayerische Rundfunk, Orchestra de Paris, Orchestra National de France, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, La Scala, NHK Tokyo and London Symphony orchestras.

In North America he regularly conducts the Boston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony.

Born in Estonia in 1962, Paavo Järvi studied percussion and conducting at the Tallinn School of Music. He moved to the United States with his family at the age of 17 in 1980 and is now an American citizen. His studies continued at the Curtis Institute of Music under Otto-Werner Mueller and Max Rudolf, former music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, as well as at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute with Leonard Bernstein.

Paavo Järvi has championed the works of many Estonian composers including Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, Lepo Sumera and Eduard Tubin. In 2002 he began a two-year term as Artistic Advisor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and received the Kultuurkapital Award from the Estonian Ministry of Culture for promoting Estonian music in other countries.

In February 2004, Paavo Järvi was named a recipient of the “Spirit of Cincinnati” Queen City Advocate Award for bringing positive worldwide recognition to Greater Cincinnati.