• Thu 19.01.
  • 8.00 p.m.
  • Bremen
    ·Sendesaal

Debut of a bridge builder

1st First Night Subscription Concert

Works by Takemitsu, Stravinsky and Brahms

Initially she wanted to play the double bass like her father and sister. But another bass wouldn’t fit into the family car and so she downsized a bit and took up the violin instead. In the meantime, she is one of a phalanx of internationally successful violinists with a clear goal in mind: »I want to build bridges through my instrument.« Now she is debuting in Bremen with Igor Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto – a piece that the composer was at first reluctant to write when the commission was offered to him, citing unfamiliarity with the instrument.
Someone else who questioned his own abilities was Johannes Brahms, who struggled deeply over his First Symphony. Even when he finally seemed to reach his goal, he still remained sceptical, and although the symphony was widely praised after its premiere in 1876, Brahms completely rewrote the slow movement. The Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen now presents this piece as part of its focus on the works of Brahms.

Programme

    • Tōru Takemitsu (1930–1996)
    • Requiem for string orchestra
    • Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971)
    • Violin concerto in D major
    • Johannes Brahms (1833–1897)
    • Symphony No. 1 in C minor op. 68

Conductor

Paavo Järvi

The Estonian conductor and Grammy Award winner Paavo Järvi has served as Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 2004. One of the many highlights of this long standing collaboration was the widely acclaimed Beethoven cycle, whose performances were celebrated by critics around the world and honoured with numerous awards, including the Echo Klassik for “Conductor of the Year.” The Beethoven project was followed by an intensive exploration of the symphonic works of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms; both cycles likewise received multiple distinctions. Since autumn 2021, the orchestra has turned its focus to Joseph Haydn’s twelve London Symphonies, followed in 2024 by an in depth engagement with the symphonies of Franz Schubert.

Since the 2019/20 season, Paavo Järvi has also served as Music Director of the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. Starting with the 2028/29 season, Järvi will assume the position of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra and the Pärnu Music Festival, which he established in 2011. As a guest conductor, he regularly appears with leading orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, Paavo Järvi was named Artist of the Year by both Gramophone magazine (UK) and Diapason (France). This was followed in 2019 by the Opus Klassik award for Conductor of the Year. Further honours include a Grammy Award for his recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the title Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture. In recognition of his commitment to promoting the music of Jean Sibelius, he received the Sibelius Medal in 2015, and in 2012 he was awarded the Hindemith Prize for Art and Humanity. For his dedication to Estonian culture, Paavo Järvi was awarded the Order of the White Star by the President of Estonia in 2013, and in 2024 he received the Bremen Senate Medal for Art and Science.

Violin

Vilde Frang

Born in Norway, Vilde Frang is today one of the leading young musicians of her field. At an early age, her profound musicality and exceptional artistry led her to the most renowned international orchestras. Aged just 12, she gave her debut with Mariss Jansons and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Her 2012 Credit Suisse ›Young Artists Award‹ was followed by her first appearance with Bernard Haitink and the Wiener Philharmoniker at the Lucerne Festival. Vilde Frang continues to be a regular guest with orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, the Berliner Philharmoniker, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, working with well-known conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle, Herbert Blomstedt and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

An enthusiastic chamber musician, Vilde Frang also appears regularly at festivals such as the BBC Proms, Rheingau Music Festival, the Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, the George Enescu Festival in Romania and the Salzburg Festival. This sought-after violinist, who plays a 1734 Guarneri del Gesùs violin on generous loan from a private European patron, is an exclusive artist under contract with Warner Classics. Her recordings have received numerous awards, including Gramophone, the Deutscher Schallplattenpreis, the Grand Prix du Disque and the Diapason d’Or. Vilde Frang has already performed several times with the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen.

Conductor

Paavo Järvi

The Estonian conductor and Grammy Award winner Paavo Järvi has served as Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammer­philharmonie Bremen since 2004. One of the many highlights of this long standing collaboration was the widely acclaimed Beethoven cycle, whose performances were celebrated by critics around the world and honoured with numerous awards, including the Echo Klassik for “Conductor of the Year.” The Beethoven project was followed by an intensive exploration of the symphonic works of Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms; both cycles likewise received multiple distinctions. Since autumn 2021, the orchestra has turned its focus to Joseph Haydn’s twelve London Symphonies, followed in 2024 by an in depth engagement with the symphonies of Franz Schubert.

Since the 2019/20 season, Paavo Järvi has also served as Music Director of the Tonhalle Orchester Zürich. Starting with the 2028/29 season, Järvi will assume the position of Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra and the Pärnu Music Festival, which he established in 2011. As a guest conductor, he regularly appears with leading orchestras such as the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Staatskapelle Dresden, the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, Paavo Järvi was named Artist of the Year by both Gramophone magazine (UK) and Diapason (France). This was followed in 2019 by the Opus Klassik award for Conductor of the Year. Further honours include a Grammy Award for his recording of Sibelius’ Cantatas with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and the title Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture. In recognition of his commitment to promoting the music of Jean Sibelius, he received the Sibelius Medal in 2015, and in 2012 he was awarded the Hindemith Prize for Art and Humanity. For his dedication to Estonian culture, Paavo Järvi was awarded the Order of the White Star by the President of Estonia in 2013, and in 2024 he received the Bremen Senate Medal for Art and Science.