Rudolf Buchbinder counts as one of the legendary musicians of our time. He is frequently invited to perform with the world’s leading orchestras and at some of its greatest festivals. Tradition and innovation, fidelity to the work and freedom, authenticity and global openness in equal measure merge in Buchbinder’s interpretations of the great piano works. His repertoire is as extensive as it is diverse and has been impressively documented in over 100 recordings. In particular, Buchbinder’s performances of works by Ludwig van Beethoven are considered a benchmark. On the occasion of Beethoven’s 150th anniversary, the Wiener Musikverein gave a single pianist – Rudolf Buchbinder – the honour of performing all five Beethoven piano concertos in a specially-produced series – a first in the history of this world famous hall.

As a contribution to the 2020 Beethoven Year and following the genesis of Beethoven’s epochal Diabelli Variations op. 120, Rudolf Buchbinder commissioned a cycle of new Diabelli Variations from the pen of eleven leading contemporary composers including Auerbach, Dean, Hosokawa, Staud and Widmann. He has so far performed this new work in 20 cities around the world.

Rudolf Buchbinder is also an honorary member of the Wiener Philharmoniker, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Vienna, the Wiener Konzerthausgesellschaft, the Wiener Symphoniker and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He is the first soloist to have been awarded the Golden Badge of Honour by the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxony). As Artistic Director, this pianist is responsible for the Grafenegg Festival which has been one of the most influential orchestral festivals in Europe since its inception in 2007.

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.