March 2026 — Grammy-winning Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi has been appointed Chief Conductor & Artistic Advisor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO), succeeding current Principal Conductor Edward Gardner at the start of the 2028–29 season. With an initial five-year contract, Järvi will be responsible for directing the orchestra’s centennial celebrations in 2032.
Paavo Järvi, Photo: Kaupo Kikkas
Järvi is as renowned for his compelling interpretations of the symphonic repertoire as for his advocacy of new music. He currently serves as Music Director of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Artistic Director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, and as the founder and Artistic Director of the Estonian Festival Orchestra.
David Burke, Chief Executive of the LPO, says:
“From the first time I heard Paavo Järvi perform in 2023, it was clear that he shared a remarkable musical connection with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. I am immensely proud to announce this new partnership and excited to see it grow as we approach our 2032 centenary.”
Jesús Herrera, Artistic Director of the LPO, adds:
“We are thrilled to welcome Paavo Järvi to the LPO family. He is a remarkable maestro whose artistic brilliance and deep humanity perfectly embody our orchestra’s values.”
Järvi comments:
“I am honored to take on the role of Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It is a privilege to work with an ensemble of such artistry and tradition, and I look forward to the music we will make together.”
This week, Järvi conducts the LPO in performances of Sibelius’s Second Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto, with Alexandre Kantorow as soloist, first at London’s Royal Festival Hall (March 4), and then on tour in Budapest (March 5) and Athens (March 7). As Chief Conductor Designate, he will reunite with the orchestra in coming seasons for three London subscription concerts and performances on tour in the UK and overseas.
Meanwhile, U.S. audiences can look forward to his upcoming spring returns to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, where he leads a program of Schumann, Beethoven, and Brahms (March 27–29), and the Chicago Symphony, where he conducts music by Sibelius, Brahms, and Estonia’s Erkki-Sven Tüür (April 2–4). Listeners can also anticipate his April release of Mahler’s Seventh Symphony, recorded with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich for Alpha Classics, following their coupling of the same composer’s First and Fifth Symphonies last year.
