Estonian maestro Paavo Järvi named new London Philharmonic Orchestra chief conductor

The London Philharmonic Orchestra announced today that Paavo Järvi will succeed Edward Gardner as chief conductor from the 2028-29 season, when Gardner’s current contract comes to an end.

Paavo Järvi, 63, was born in Tallinn into a musical dynasty. His father Neeme is also a conductor as well as his younger brother Kristjan. The family moved to the USA in 1980, and Järvi studied at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music and at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute with Leonard Bernstein.

 

Järvi's distinguished career has seen him work with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the Malmö Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Tokyo’s NHK Symphony and the Orchestre de Paris, where he was music director from 2010-2016.

 

The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) was founded in 1932 by Sir Thomas Beecham and is now a resident orchestra at London's Southbank Centre. It has served as the prestigious Glyndebourne Festival's resident symphony orchestra since 1964 and also performs in Brighton, Eastbourne and Saffron Walden, alongside international tours. Järvi is already conducting the LPO in a program of works by Tchaikovsky and Sibelius at the Royal Festival Hall tomorrow.

 

Estonia: Hidden Fairytale of the North

Winter beauty in Estonia

Some stunning images have come out of Estonia recently. Here are a few of my favourites. The Estonian landscape truly is a winter wonderland during this time of year. 

 

Saaremaa

 

 

 Tamme-Lauri Oak Tree, Antsla

 

Simuna

Eurostat: Estonia in numbers

On each European independence day Eurostat releases some fun country facts. Here is the most recent for Estonia.

Teodor van Dijk sings Õpetaja at EV108 concert

There were many joyful moments during the Estonian Independence Day celebrations yesterday. One of the best was watching Teodor van Dijk sing with the National Men's Choir. What a little cutie! He is only six years old!

Happy Independence Day! Ilusat iseseisvuspäeva!

Today we celebrate 108 years since the Republic of Estonia was founded on the enduring principles of freedom, democracy, and rule of law. Throughout our history,  Estonians have faced challenges with resilience and determination. Our independence, once lost and regained, reminds us that freedom cannot be taken for granted. It must be protected, strengthened, and passed on to future generations.

On this day Estonians around the world will gather to celebrate the birthday of our beloved republic. Never in our history have we been more successful as a nation than we are today. Ilusat vabariigi aastapäeva, armas Eesti! 

Elagu Eesti! 

Niina Petrokina wows audience Exhibition Gala

The Figure Skating Exhibition Gala of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina took place on February 21 and offered athletes a stage for pure artistic freedom without the pressure of judges. It's a tradition that takes place at the end of each Winter Olympics. Estonian figure skater Niina Petrokina gave an excellent performance and you can watch it here at the time point 1:27:47.