Baltic Sea Philharmonic
© Peter Adamik
About
The Baltic Sea Philharmonic is a new paradigm for music making in the 21st century. Its concerts are a unique spectacle of sound, light, visual art and technology, and its performances, under the electrifying baton of Music Director Kristjan Järvi, have a special energy that’s infectious. But more than this, as a community of musicians from ten countries, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic transcends boundaries and has become a movement for bringing people together. Embodying all that is innovative and progressive about the Nordic region, this visionary ensemble is taking the traditional orchestral model further than ever before. ‘It is a living breathing creature, with boundless energy and enthusiasm for the new – an adventure in itself,’ says Kristjan Järvi.
Bringing together musicians from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic started life in 2008 as the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic. Immediately acclaimed for its performances and its powerful message of unity in a historically divided region, it was soon playing at the most prestigious concert halls and festivals in Europe, and with the world’s finest artists, from Julia Fischer and Valentina Lisitsa to Jonas Kaufmann and Kurt Masur. In 2015 its achievements were honoured with the prestigious European Culture Prize by the European Culture Foundation ‘Pro Europe’. As its international reputation grew, so did its educational ambitions: it expanded the training and professional development opportunities for its musicians, and began a multi-year partnership with Danish Radio to give school concerts in Denmark. In 2016 the newly renamed Baltic Sea Philharmonic toured eight countries and collaborated with Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica. Its tours in 2017 include ‘Waterworks’ in May and August, and ‘Baltic Folk’ in August.