Baltic Sea

Philharmonic

Nordic PulseTour 2018

Welcome

We are thrilled to welcome you to ‘Nordic Pulse’. This tour is a double celebration, for not only do we celebrate our tenth anniversary this year, we are also celebrating the centenary of independence for Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Poland. What do these nations stand for in the 21st century? They stand for a strong individual identity and democratic freedoms, but like the Baltic Sea Philharmonic they also stand for harmony and co-existence in a region that has for so long been historically divided. The countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, moreover, are progressive, outward-looking, dynamic and innovative – all qualities that underpin the success of our orchestra.

Nature, not least the Baltic Sea itself, is also incredibly important to the people and communities of this region. Nordic nature has always been an inspiration to us as musicians, and has inspired many of the composers whose works we perform. Our ‘Nordic Pulse’ programme is no exception, with music that explores dramatic landscapes, natural wonders and elemental forces. Our musical presentation also has a unique dimension, in that we will be performing the second half of the programme entirely from memory.

Thank you so much for being part of our special anniversary celebration, and we promise you an evening of thrilling, atmospheric and uplifting music.

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For freedom

A mighty impulse

As the Baltic Sea Philharmonic celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2018, we are also marking 100 years since Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, and also Finland and Poland, declared themselves independent nations. In the eyes of Kristjan Järvi, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s Estonian-born Founding Conductor and Music Director, there are strong parallels between the orchestra’s creation and the Baltic States’ assertion of independence. ‘These nations saw the opportunity to assert themselves a century ago,’ he says. ‘People came together to create a nation, a new identity. We created the Baltic Sea Philharmonic with the same spirit. By bringing together musicians from all around the Baltic Sea, the orchestra has always stood for unity.’

‘Nordic Pulse’ brings together music by leading composers in a programme that celebrates the energy, strength and natural wonders of these proud Baltic Sea nations. Representing Poland is Wojciech Kilar, whose Orawa for string orchestra is inspired by the highland folklore and landscapes of the Tatra Mountains. Contemporary Lithuanian composer Gediminas Gelgotas captures the power of nature in Mountains. Waters. (Freedom), a majestic piece that the Baltic

Energy, rhythm and nature combine in a celebration of Nordic identity

For freedom 06 07

Sea Philharmonic premiered in 2015. Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen joins the orchestra to perform two works by Estonian composers: Fratres by Arvo Pärt and Aurora by Kristjan Järvi. Finland is represented by its most famous composer, Sibelius, whose concert suite from ‘The Tempest’ is considered by some as one of his greatest achievements. The programme closes with the propulsive first movement of Latvian composer Imants Kalninš’s ‘Rock’ Symphony from 1972, its driving rhythms and rock elements combining in a powerful expression of protest against the authorities of the time.

The pulse of ‘Nordic Pulse’ may be felt most clearly in the highly rhythmic ‘Rock’ Symphony and Orawa, but for Kristjan ‘Nordic Pulse’ is also about the power of nature. ‘Nature gives us the impulse to act, and Nordic nature gives us a certain kind of impulse – the drive to create, build, renew,’ he says. ‘In Sibelius’s The Tempest suite, what happens after the turbulence and destruction of the storm is creation. Aurora is inspired by the Northern Lights but it’s also about spring, the time for creation and rebirth.’ Aurora, after all, is the Latin word for dawn, and the goddess of dawn in Roman mythology.

The ‘Nordic Pulse’ tour includes two German debuts for the orchestra, in Munich and Halle (Saale). The concert in the Bavarian capital takes place in the beautiful Hercules Hall of the Residence, the largest city palace in Germany. The performance in Halle (Saale) is dedicated to the former German Foreign Minister, the late Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who was born nearby. He was a founder of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and presented the European Culture Prize to the orchestra in 2015. Today we continue his legacy of building unity in the historically divided Baltic Sea region.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel will attend our concert in Peenemünde on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom. The performance opens the 25th edition of the Usedom Music Festival, a festival with which the orchestra has a long and happy association. Indeed, the Usedom Music Festival was where the Baltic Sea Philharmonic originated ten years ago, and where we gave our second ever concert in September 2008.

Away from Germany, ‘Nordic Pulse’ takes the orchestra to Merano in northern Italy. After a triumphant concert at the 2017 Merano Music Festival, we are delighted to be performing there again this year. We end our tour in Gdańsk, the beautiful Polish city on the Baltic Sea coast where we last performed in 2016. Our concert at the Polish Baltic Philharmonic will be a festive pre-celebration of both German Unity Day on 3 October and the centenary of Polish independence on 11 November.

In this year of special anniversaries, we invite you to help us celebrate our story, and the achievements of the Baltic Sea nations that we are proud to represent.‘People came together to

create a new identity. W

e created

the Baltic Sea Philharm

onic with the same spirit’

17 September 2018, 8.30 pmMerano Music Festival (Merano, Kursaal),Italy

18 September 2018, 8.00 pmMunich (Hercules Hall of the Residence),Germany

20 September 2018, 7.30 pmHalle (Saale) (Handel Hall),Germany

22 September 2018, 8.00 pmUsedom Music Festival(Kraftwerk Museum Peenemünde, Island of Usedom), Germany

24 September 2018, 7.00 pmGdańsk (Polish Baltic Philharmonic), Poland

Baltic Sea PhilharmonicKristjan Järvi Mari Samuelsen

Wojciech Kilar (1932 – 2013)Orawa

Gediminas Gelgotas (1986)Mountains. Waters. (Freedom)

Arvo Pärt (1935)Fratres for violin, percussion and string orchestra

Kristjan Järvi (1972)Aurora for violin and orchestra

Jean Sibelius (1865 – 1957)The Tempest concert suite – from memoryarranged by Kristjan Järvi

Imants Kalninš (1941)Symphony No. 4 ‘Rock’ Symphony, 1st movement – from memory

For freedom

Nordic Pulse Tour

08 09

The year 1918 was a momentous one for many countries in the Baltic region, as the end of World War I finally brought them their long-awaited independence from neighbouring states. Finland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland separated from Russia, while Norway had severed its Swedish ties a little over a decade earlier. There were further obstacles to come and new foreign rulers. But today, 100 years later, the neighbouring countries live in peace with each other, as is reflected in the multicultural Baltic Sea Philharmonic, which was founded ten years ago.

The anniversary programme begins with the Polish composer Wojciech Kilar. The Baltic Sea Philharmonic has already recorded his Orawa (1986) for string orchestra on its successful CD ‘Baltic Sea Voyage’. The music takes us to the Carpathian region of Orava on the Polish–Slovakian border, presenting a lively portrait of the landscape and its local dances. The Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi also have a long-standing partnership with the Lithuanian Gediminas Gelgotas, and premiered his piece Mountains. Waters. (Freedom), which was funded by the Orpheum Foundation, in Zurich’s Tonhalle on 12 September 2015. The composition is characterised by a close relationship to nature and sinister undertones. Its composer explained his intentions as ‘exploring the enormous expanses around us and within us.

It was my idea and desire to create a sound and a musical structure in which all processes can occur as economically as possible and in which those inner elements continuously transform into new figures.’

Arvo Pärt is without doubt the most famous Estonian composer of all. In the 1970s his musical language changed, as he found a new form of mystic immersion in medieval music. He explained his new credo as follows: ‘Gregorian chant has taught me what a cosmic secret is hidden in the art of combining two or three notes.’ He created a compositional technique called ‘tintinnabuli’ (‘little bells’), based on combining pure scales and triads. The monotonous tonality achieves a meditative tonal experience and nevertheless remains true to the spirit of New Music. The style and the monk-like appearance of Pärt turned him into a guru of the classical music scene after he emigrated to the West in 1980 and he also appealed to a broader audience. He has arranged his famous piece Fratres (1977) for a wide range of different instruments, and today’s concert presents a 1992 arrangement for violin, strings and percussion. The piece almost exclusively uses minor chords and one scale. The central tone, which slowly descends in thirds, gradually spirals its way down into the depths. The evocative composition has a remarkable simplicity.

For freedom

Listening guideFrom dramatic Sibelius to pulsating Kalninš, our programme is full of atmosphere and movement

The Tempest’s stylistic diversity, ranging fro

m

Baroque references to modernism, makes it o

ne

of Sibelius’s most excitin

g pieces

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Kristjan Järvi, the conductor of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, composed the piece Aurora for violin and orchestra. Inspired by the Northern Lights, its endless metamorphoses of a few underlying motifs produce an atmospheric aura. The natural environment of northern Europe seems to be captured within the piece, which ends in a radiant C major.

Jean Sibelius was a passionate supporter of the Finnish national movement, which aspired to independence from Russia. In 1917 that goal was achieved and after a brief civil war the republic was declared in 1919. The symphonic poem Finlandia of 1899 became a powerful symbol of the country’s struggle for independence, although Sibelius

himself lived a secluded life in the rural village of Järvenpää. His concert suite The Tempest is based on theatre music for Shakespeare’s play of the same name. Sibelius’s 36-part composition was performed for the first time on 15 March 1926 at Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre. Its stylistic diversity, ranging from Baroque references to modernism, makes it one of his most exciting pieces. Sibelius extracted two orchestral suites from the theatre music, and Kristjan Järvi has compiled his own suite, presenting an imaginative stroll through Sibelius’s world of imagery. The Baltic Sea Philharmonic musicians will play this entire score by heart (see page 26 to learn why).

A popular classic of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic repertoire concludes this programme, namely the groove-driven first movement of Latvian composer Imants Kalninš’s ‘Rock’ Symphony (1972), which the orchestra will also perform from memory. The symphony is a crossover piece with elements of rock and classical music. When it was composed, Latvia was still a republic within the Soviet Union. Kalninš has always remained politically committed and his music reflects the country’s new beginning in restoring independence in 1990. As this music clearly shows, the courage to change must never dwindle.

‘Orchestras must create, in

spire and innovate.

And you cannot have innovation without taking ris

ks’

Kristjan Jä

rvi

For c

hang

e

For change

Creating a revolutionKristjan Järvi is redefining what it means to be an orchestra. Daring to be different is in his nature

Creative freedom, risk-taking and innovation are at the heart of Kristjan Järvi’s work with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. ‘We are building a new orchestral model,’ he says. ‘Too many orchestras today are focused on economic survival, with musicians reduced to assembly-line productivity at the expense of creativity. But creativity is absolutely essential for any form of society to thrive, not just survive. As orchestras are microcosms of society, we have to ask ourselves what we are here for. It must be to create, uplift, inspire and innovate. And you cannot have innovation without taking risks.’

Kristjan’s mission to empower both players and audiences has never wavered in ten years as the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s Founding Conductor and Music Director, yet the entrepreneurial drive and leadership needed to make it happen have been with him far longer. In 1993, as a 21-year-old graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, he founded the Absolute Ensemble, a band that brings together jazz, hip-hop, electroacoustic, classical and other musical styles. This boundary-busting group has created its own distinctive sound, and the band’s evolution has been driven not only by Kristjan’s omnivorous musical tastes, but also by his encouragement of the group’s members to improvise, arrange and compose.

The collective energy of the Absolute Ensemble carries through to the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, where Kristjan sees himself as part of the orchestra, and not an archetypal leader. ‘I don’t want to lead from outside and say “Follow me,”’ he says. ‘I’m someone who makes music with them, and it just happens to be my job to stand in front of them.’

For Kristjan, everybody in the Baltic Sea Philharmonic has an equal presence and importance. Instilling a feeling of true equality is liberating for the players, he says, and encourages an entrepreneurial spirit, the feeling that anything is possible: ‘One of the reasons I’m programming some of my own pieces, such as Aurora, this year is because I hope this will inspire musicians in the orchestra to create their own works. There are lots of people whose talents embrace many different areas, but who may not be quite so confident or open enough yet to pursue those directions. What I’m doing with the orchestra is a constant process of opening musicians up to possibilities, so they discover what lies within.’

‘What I’m doing is a

constant process of

opening the musicians

up to possibilities’

Biography

Kristjan has ‘earned a reputation as one of the canniest, and most innovative, programmers on the classical scene.’ [Reuters]

Having completed six years as Music Director of the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra in June this year, Kristjan now realises his pioneering ideas as Founding Conductor and Music Director of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and as Founder-Conductor of New York-based classical-hip-hop-jazz group Absolute Ensemble. An entrepreneur by nature and a passionate producer, Kristjan also runs his own production company, Sunbeam Productions, creating new experiences that combine music, visual art, lighting design and technology with innovative concepts, to take audiences on a unique journey.

In 2016 Kristjan became an official member of the Estonian Olympic committee, marking the first time this position was not filled by a sportsperson or government official. His initiative ‘Sound Estonia’ aims to promote

the connection between, and importance of, a healthy body and mind.

As a recording artist Kristjan has more than 60 albums to his credit, from Hollywood soundtracks such as ‘Cloud Atlas’ and award-winning albums on Sony Classical and Chandos, to his eponymous series: the Kristjan Järvi Sound Project. Launched in 2014, the series features projects across all of his ensembles and is characterised by his unmistakable approach of taking a fresh look at the old.

Kristjan continues to work with some of today’s brightest creative minds, from film directors Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis, to composers and artists Arvo Pärt, Steve Reich, Tan Dun, Hauschka and Esa-Pekka Salonen, with whom he started his career as Assistant Conductor at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Born in Estonia, Kristjan emigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in New York City. He is an accomplished pianist and graduated from Manhattan School of Music before pursuing conducting studies at the University of Michigan.

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‘Nordic Pulse’ will be Mari Samuelsen’s first time performing with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, though not with Kristjan Järvi, whom she has collaborated regularly with in the last few years. The Norwegian violinist and the Estonian-born conductor are in many ways kindred spirits, sharing innovative approaches to repertoire, performance presentation, and audience development.

Mari first performed Kristjan’s Aurora in 2016, in a version for violin, cello and orchestra, with her brother Håkon as cello soloist and Kristjan conducting. She describes the piece as ‘like a journey into space. You have the feeling you’re floating out among the stars and the planets. There’s a wonderful drive, a very positive energy in the music.’ Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, Mari’s other solo feature in ‘Nordic Pulse’, is a piece she has been performing for many years, both with small and large ensembles, and also with piano. ‘Fratres is a work I feel very close to,’ she says. ‘It’s under my skin.’

One area where Mari shares Kristjan’s sensibilities is in giving audiences a new experience through innovative presentation. Her performances at Berlin’s Yellow Lounge classical club concerts introduced her to projection artist Philipp Geist, who is Yellow Lounge’s resident VJ when he’s not creating

his own projects and installations around the world. Mari, in turn, introduced Philipp to Kristjan, and Philipp joined the Sunbeam Productions team that created the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s spectacularly immersive ‘Waterworks’. ‘I love going to a church to listen to solo Bach,’ says Mari, ‘but giving audiences a big multisensory experience, with visuals as well as music, can be just as moving, and has a deep impact.’

Having followed the exploits of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, Mari is excited to be collaborating with the orchestra in this special tenth-anniversary year, which will climax with the ensemble’s first-ever tour of the Middle East in November. ‘At a time when even big orchestras are cutting back on their touring, it’s a fantastic opportunity for these young players to go out and present music from their home region, and to take it far and wide,’ she says. ‘People are hungry to learn more about the Nordic character, and the Baltic Sea Philharmonic communicates that so well.’

For change

A fearless musical adventurer, Mari Samuelsen is an ideal partner for the Baltic Sea Philharmonic

Kindred spirit

‘You have the feeling

you’re floating out among

the stars and the planets’

Biography

Norwegian violinist Mari Samuelsen has enjoyed a remarkable rise on the international concert stage. Her performances combine a breathtaking musical finesse and virtuosity with an imaginative and innovative approach to presentation.

Mari has appeared as soloist at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, the Berlin Konzerthaus, Smetana Hall in Prague, and the Victoria Hall in Geneva. In August 2016 she made her debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, and in June 2017 performed at the opening of the Montreux Jazz Festival. Mari works regularly with the composer Max Richter, and has performed as soloist in concert performances of both his ‘Recomposed’ and ‘Memoryhouse’, as well as on his recent Deutsche Grammophon album ‘Three Worlds: Music from Woolf Works’.

For more than 25 years Mari has also performed in a duo with her brother, cellist Håkon Samuelsen. In spring 2015 they released their debut album ‘Pas de Deux’ on Mercury/Decca (Universal), the centrepiece of which was a new work written for them by the Oscar-winning composer, the late James Horner. It went straight to No. 1 in the Norwegian pop charts, the first classical album to do so in more than 20 years.

Mari has also been artistic director of Yellow Lounge in Norway, and in bringing the Berlin-born club night to Oslo, she has collaborated with partners such as the pre-eminent video artist Philipp Geist. Mari’s latest album, ‘Nordic Noir’, was released by Decca in September 2017. Her collaborations with leading composers of today, as well as with electronic music artists such as Jeff Mills and Dubfire, mark Mari out as an innovative musician who is passionate about reaching out to new audiences. Mari recently signed a new recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon, and will have a new album released in 2019.

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Our musiciansViolinDiana Abolina (Latvia)Kotryna Daunyte (Lithuania)Tatiana Dvortsova (Russia)Sabine Grase (Latvia)Elisabeth Härmand (Estonia)Dita Immermane (Latvia)Kseniia Ivakina (Russia)Marta Jurjane (Latvia)Saimi Kortelainen (Estonia)Malwina Kulisiewicz (Poland)Marzena Malinowska (Poland)Magdalena Pacut (Poland)Evgenia Pavlova (Russia)*Maria Selnes (Norway)Kata Stojanovic (Estonia)Kinga Streszewska (Poland)Mari-Liis Urb (Estonia)Anna Walek (Poland)Malwina Wlodarczyk (Poland)Laura Zimka (Latvia)

ViolaElena Andreu Iglesias (Estonia)Anastasiia Goriacheva (Russia)Chia-Chun Hsiao (Germany)Kseniia Kharitonova (Russia)Malgorzata Kosińska (Poland)Mart Kuusma (Estonia)Marina Paccagnan (Germany)Maximilian Procop (Germany)

CelloLydia Eriksson (Finland)Zuzanna Filipek (Poland)Tarmo Hiis (Estonia)Lauri Kärrylä (Finland)Marius Malanetchi (Germany)Armas Riives (Estonia)

Double BassMiranda Erlich (Finland)Eduard Gadea Salom (Sweden)Hanna Jürgenson (Estonia)Dusan Kostic (Germany)Milosz Madejski (Poland)

FluteKristine Beitika (Latvia)Teimurazi Kharshiladze (Germany)Anete Vinkel (Estonia)

OboeMarlene Gomes (Germany)Annika Oser (Germany)

ClarinetAlexey Mikhaylenko (Russia)*Arturas Sukys (Lithuania)Fatima Trives Escolano (Denmark)

BassoonJakob Peäske (Estonia)Arseniy Shkaptsov (Russia)*

French HornNoé Lehmann (Germany)Sara Lima (Estonia)Mikus Runka (Latvia)Grigory Yakubovich (Russia)

TrumpetMärt Metsla (Estonia)*Kristijonas Sakalauskas (Lithuania)José Ángel Toscano Fernández (Germany)

TromboneAndreas Clemmensen (Denmark)Jüri Leek (Estonia)Ingvar Leerimaa (Estonia)

For change 18 19

TubaPatrikas Kisunas (Lithuania)

HarpLisa De Bruycker (Germany)

PercussionMarnisch Ebner (Germany)Pietari Huhtinen (Finland)Rikard Markstedt (Sweden)Helgi Thorleiksson (Norway)

*Principals

Team of coaches Damien Bassman (percussion)Jan Bjøranger (strings)Martin Kuuskmann (woodwinds)Thomas Lange (resonance training)Charlie Porter (brass)

Team Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation Thomas Hummel (Executive Director) Jutta Loosen (Communications Director) Rita Sosedow (Production Manager)Ilze Upatniece (Project Manager)Danielle Griffin (Music Librarian)Natalia Kononchuk (Project Assistant)Ulrike Schrader (Project Assistant)Katharina Wickel (Project Assistant)Alexander Datz (Press Officer)Peter Somerford (Editor)Peter Adamik (Photographer)Adrien Le Gall (Videographer)Manuela Reut (Stylist)Sandor Antal (Stage Manager)Andrew Kirby (Stage Manager)Rainer Zimski (Stage Manager)

For unity

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to R

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he s

trong

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all a

re, t

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trong

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a re

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Unity of purpose

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic has become a movement for bringing people together across the Nordic region

For unity

The Baltic Sea Philharmonic is a unique gathering of the most talented young musicians from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden. Every player has a connection to their homeland’s musical traditions, both classical and folk, but when these connections come together in the orchestra, it enriches the musical experience of every musician, and gives the orchestra a unique collective strength.

Connectedness is the defining philosophy behind the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, in its mission to unite both musicians and communities, and reconnect them with the environment. As Kristjan Järvi says: ‘We’re creating a movement that brings people together from Norway to Russia. The stronger we all are, the stronger we are as a region. Then we can set an example for the whole world.’

For ten years the Baltic Sea Philharmonic has been a beacon for unity in a historically divided region. Its story started in 2008 on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, off the northern edge of Germany. Thomas Hummel, the Director of the Usedom Music Festival, wanted to create a new multinational orchestra, and took the idea to Nord Stream AG, operator of the

natural gas pipelines through the Baltic Sea. His proposal: what better way to reflect the cooperation between Baltic Sea nations than by bringing together the best young musicians from the ten countries surrounding the Baltic Sea.

‘Right from the first concert of the newly inaugurated Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic, in Riga in 2008, it was clear that here was an orchestra with a powerful message’, says Thomas. Audiences felt it immediately, and politicians recognised its importance too. As the orchestra’s reputation spread, it began regular tours, and was soon playing at the most prestigious concert halls and festivals in Europe, and performing with the world’s finest soloists, from Julia Fischer and Valentina Lisitsa to Jonas Kaufmann and Angela Gheorghiu. In 2012 and 2013 Kurt Masur conducted the orchestra at the Usedom Music Festival. Also in 2012, the Baltic Sea Youth Philharmonic performed at the Summit of the Council of the Baltic Sea States in Stralsund, on the invitation of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who praised the orchestra as ‘a compelling example of using music as a powerful medium for cooperation and integration across borders’. In 2015 its achievements were honoured with the prestigious European Culture Prize by the European Culture Foundation ‘Pro Europe’.

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design, visual art and fashion. Inspired by the life-giving power of water, ‘Waterworks’ featured a special version of Handel’s Water Music and celebrated the 80th birthday of seminal American composer Philip Glass with performances of his Violin Concerto No. 2 and Aguas da Amazonia. Also in 2017, on its ‘Baltic Folk’ tour of Sweden, Germany and Italy, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic made history by becoming the first orchestra in the world to perform Stravinsky’s The Firebird entirely from memory. By the end of 2017 the Baltic Sea Philharmonic had given a total of 96 concerts since its inception in 2008, performing to more than 100,000 concert goers in 14 countries (the ten Baltic Sea states, Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland).

The increasing international importance of the orchestra has been matched by the growth of its educational ambitions. Education and training have always been at the heart of the orchestra’s mission, and Kristjan, together with a team of international coaches, has worked intensively with the musicians to develop their professional skills and expand their musical horizons. The creation in 2013 of the Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation consolidated a burgeoning education programme, which included school concerts and chamber music coaching, as well as workshops for young conductors and composers.

In 2016 the orchestra’s growing desire to connect people across the world and to make them reconnect with the environment led to a new phase of international touring and collaboration. Renamed the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, the orchestra performed in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Russia, on its ‘Baltic Sea Landscapes’ tour with pianist Alexander Toradze. The ‘Baltic Sea Discovery’ tour of Lithuania, Russia, Poland, Denmark and Germany featured collaborations with Gidon Kremer and the Kremerata Baltica. In the same year, Sony Classical released the orchestra’s recording of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, arranged by Henk de Vlieger.

With its ‘Waterworks’ tour of Denmark and Germany in 2017, in collaboration with Sunbeam Productions, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic debuted a thrilling new concert experience, fusing music, light, sound

The creation of th

e Baltic Sea Music Educatio

n Foundation

strengthened a burgeoning educatio

n programme

For unity 24 25

Underpinning all this training is the knowledge that today’s young generation will be the musicians and educators to inspire the next generation. Nowhere has this been more evident than with the orchestra’s three-year participation in Danish Radio’s groundbreaking ‘Into the Music’ project, which in 2015 began presenting symphonic concerts for thousands of schoolchildren from rural Denmark, many of whom had never experienced a live performance of orchestral music.

In 2017, on the Denmark leg of the ‘Waterworks’ tour, more than 3,500 children came to hear the Baltic Sea Philharmonic at its ‘Into the Music’ concerts in Copenhagen. Another 2,500 children heard the orchestra in Aarhus, one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2017. Danish Radio presenter Mathias Hammer hosted these school concerts, and said afterwards: ‘The Baltic Sea Philharmonic is playing on a level beyond that of any other young musicians’ orchestra I know. It’s so professional, but it’s also so full of energy and good ideas. And Kristjan Järvi is brilliant at bringing the atmosphere on stage out into the hall. I’ve never seen a conductor communicating so much with a young audience, allowing them to make noise, and to be a part of the concert.’

‘Into the Music’ was not the only part of the orchestra’s ‘Waterworks’ tour to focus on youth, however. Ahead of the final concert of the tour at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Kristjan led a workshop with the orchestra and Mädchenchor Hamburg, a girls choir from the city, to prepare a special encore of Arvo Pärt’s Kuus kuus kallike (Lullaby Song). Choir member Celina Hunschok found the experience inspiring, and said: ‘Kristjan gave our version of the Estonian

lullaby a meaning. Before the workshop it was a beautiful and simple lullaby, but his directions filled it with emotions. I was impressed by how well we adapted to his directions but also by how the orchestra immediately adapted to us. It did not feel like a first rehearsal together. The music instantly connected us all.’

The experience of performing in the Baltic Sea Philharmonic is a source of constant inspiration for the young musicians of the orchestra. Russian bassoonist and principal Arseniy Shkaptsov has been a member almost from the beginning, and says he keeps coming back because the spirit and energy of the ensemble are so special: ‘I have played in professional orchestras, and sometimes that just feels like work, like being a worker in a music-making factory. But the Baltic Sea Philharmonic gives me a spiritual and emotional experience. In this orchestra I find new emotions, new energy and new experiences, and I have so much fun too. I don’t get all this anywhere else.’

Anyone who watches the orchestra performing can see that the musicians are giving their all, and revelling in the music-making experience. As Dirk von Ameln, Chairman of the Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation, observes: ‘In the Baltic Sea Philharmonic you see young people who are dedicated and successful, but they also have fun. They are a lesson to us all, and also to industry. They prove that doing a job well can be the most fun you can have in life.’

Playing by heartPerforming from memory connects the Baltic Sea Philharmonic musicians in a uniquely powerful way

For unity

On its ‘Baltic Folk’ tour in 2017, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic made history by becoming the first orchestra to perform Stravinsky’s The Firebird from memory. While the experience was a novel one for audiences, it was transformational for the players. ‘It was an amazing feeling, and very liberating,’ says percussionist Mathias Matland. ‘With the stands gone, you can see what everyone is doing, and you’re much more connected with everyone on stage. Suddenly, everything is more together.’ For conductor Kristjan Järvi, the results were equally striking. ‘Not only was performing The Firebird this way creating history. It was also incredibly empowering,’ he says. ‘It was a great achievement for all of the musicians, to break through their limitations, to cast aside their doubts and fears, and to immerse themselves in a realm of possibilities and freedom.’

So successful was The Firebird experience that the ensemble committed to performing more orchestral scores from memory on future tours. Now the endeavour continues on this ‘Nordic Pulse’ tour with memorised performances of Sibelius’s The Tempest concert suite and the first movement of Kalninš’s ‘Rock’ Symphony.

The musicians have received coaching in playing by heart from violinist and Baltic Sea Philharmonic strings coach Jan Bjøranger. He specialises in memorised performances with his own chamber group 1B1 in Stavanger, Norway, as well as with other ensembles. ‘Performing by heart forces an orchestra to spend more time learning a piece, until players reach the point that they truly embody the music,’ he explains. ‘So it’s about empowering musicians, to look upon themselves as artists rather than workers on a music production line. To reach this higher goal, though, you have to accept that you might make mistakes, and so the learning process is also about getting rid of the fear of failure.’

One of the practical advantages of an orchestra memorising a piece, says Jan, is that the conductor is then free to work artistically with the musicians, rather than having to focus on the mechanics of music making: ‘The essential aspects of pulse and togetherness are already established through the process of memorisation.’ Memorisation is not in itself the ultimate goal, he stresses. ‘It is a tool that enables the players and the conductor to interact in a completely different way. But it also creates opportunities for new approaches to staging. Indeed, there are many avenues that open

‘Memorisation enables the players and the conductor

to interact in a completely diffe

rent way’

26 27

The more pieces the Baltic Sea Philharmonic memorises, the more the orchestra’s musicians become familiar with different memorisation techniques. For as Jan explains, each piece has to be approached in a unique way: ‘With the Kalninš movement, because it is structured in eight-bar sections, like a rock song, the musicians’ task was to count the bars and work out in which section they were playing, and in which section they had to change what they were playing. With the Sibelius, the memorisation involved a different level of study because the changes in detail are more unpredictable.’

The memorisation work has certainly proved popular with the players. Kristjan says musicians came up to him after performing The Firebird and said, ‘Please, we want to memorise everything. We only want to play from memory now.’ And Jan adds that, with the Stravinsky, the Sibelius, the Kalninš and several encores now in the musicians’ memorised repertoire, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic is already nearing the point of being able to present a whole evening of memorised music. These are exciting times.

up in terms of performance presentation once the biggest obstacle – reading the music on stands – is removed.’

Performing from memory is a way for an orchestra to stand out from other groups. If more orchestras played this way, says Jan, they would not play the same amount of repertoire and would have to repeat programmes more, but crucially they would develop more individuality. ‘Today you have the situation where lots of orchestras play the same repertoire with the same amount of rehearsal time. And they play that repertoire, at least to the untrained ear, the same way. They dress the same, they start concerts at the same time… the industry needs to look in a different direction.’

Kristjan Järvi, Thomas Hummel and Dirk von Ameln came together to reflect on the first ten years of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic. Kristjan is the orchestra’s Founding Conductor and Music Director. Thomas is the orchestra’s Executive Director and also Artistic Director of the Usedom Music Festival. Dirk is Chairman of the Board of the Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation.

What have been your highlights from the first ten years?

Thomas Hummel There have been so many. Being able to work with the same conductor so consistently for so many years has been fantastic. It was amazing, also, that we were able to have Kurt Masur conduct the orchestra on two occasions at the Usedom Music Festival.

Kristjan Järvi Kurt Masur was one of the biggest heroes and role models we’ve had the honour and fortune to work with in the orchestra. Our project is about unifying people, and he was instrumental in unifying voices from the East and West in Germany, so for me, having him involved was an endorsement that what we’re doing is right.

For unity

Team reflectionsThe Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s founders look back on the orchestra’s momentous first decade

Which of the orchestra’s achievements are you most proud of?

TH I’m very proud of what we’ve created, the contacts between communities that we’ve developed, and how much progress we’ve made in just ten years. Other organisations might have taken 20 or 30 years to come to this point.

KJ Many orchestras take big jumps organisationally or creatively, but they don’t have a strategic vision or a grand plan. We have a grand plan which is about constantly empowering and developing our musicians, but that plan changes according to current influences, such as geopolitical and social influences but also influences from different musical styles and genres. That’s why we’re doing things like performing with lights and playing from memory.

Dirk von Ameln If there is a landmark achievement for me, it is the orchestra winning the European Culture Prize in 2015. But in another sense, when I look back, the orchestra was a start-up, and we have developed it into an organised and efficient entity, but one that is very much open to allow new things to happen and changes to take place. And that may be one of our biggest achievements.

‘Everything we do comes down

to empowering people’

Dirk

von Ameln

28 29

Do you think that being a beacon of international understanding is more important now that it was ten years ago?

DvA Unfortunately, yes. When we started out, there was some tension between the West and the East, with the Georgian crisis and the 2008 war in South Ossetia. But the situation stabilised and improved. Now, however, we are back to a world where barriers are put up, and not just psychological barriers but also physical barriers. So it is even more important to have an entity that overcomes barriers and tells the story of a united community.

What do you hope that Baltic Sea Philharmonic musicians will learn from their time in the orchestra and take through into their professional lives?

TH We’ve always encouraged openness and fearlessness in our musicians, telling them that nothing is impossible. Having that confidence, and the knowledge, for example, that they can play a full symphonic piece from memory, is very important for them going forward.

DvA Everything we do comes down to empowering people. We empower our musicians, and my hope is that they carry that forward and help other people to believe in themselves and put energy and effort into achieving their goals.

KJ I’m very happy that there are chamber groups, in places like Berlin and Estonia, and ensembles like 1B1 in Norway and NICO in Lithuania, which are doing similar things to us. We are all inspiring each other, and as we develop new ideas we create a movement, a momentum for doing things differently, based on the understanding that there’s nothing to fear, that everything is possible. My hope for the future is that this entrepreneurial mentality takes hold of more and more people, not just in the world of classical music but in other genres and other areas of society.The complete interview is available to read on our website at https://blog.baltic-sea-philharmonic.eu/anniversary-reflections

A magical fairytale and one of nature’s marvels

inspire our ‘Nordic Pulse’ to

ur in March 2019

For w

onde

r

For wonder 32 33

In March 2019 the Baltic Sea Philharmonic will tour ‘Nordic Pulse’ to Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Russia. Revisiting many of the destina-tions of its 2016 ‘Baltic Sea Landscapes’ tour, the orchestra will give concerts in Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, St Petersburg and Moscow. The programme for the tour begins with Kristjan Järvi’s Northern Lights-inspired Aurora and ends with another Aurora, this one the Princess Aurora of Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Sleeping Beauty who is finally awakened from her 100-year sleep by a prince’s kiss. Kristjan Järvi has arranged a concert suite from Tchaikovsky’s masterful score, which the Baltic Sea Philhar-monic will perform from memory.

For the concerts in Lithuania, Latvia and Es-tonia, Swiss violinist David Nebel will join the orchestra to perform a new violin concerto by the young Lithuanian composer Gediminas Gelgotas. Nebel, the concerto’s dedicatee, gave the world premiere of the work with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Kristjan Järvi in July 2018 at the Kissinger Sommer festival in Bad Kissingen, Germany.

Gelgotas has enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic, which pre-miered his Never Ignore the Cosmic Ocean

Bewitching soundsOn our tour next March, Kristjan Järvi’s music inspired by the Northern Lights leads us to the enchanting world of Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty

in 2012 and Mountains. Waters. (Freedom) in 2015. The composer says the orchestra and Järvi are ideal advocates for his symphonic music: ‘Their energy and strength, their free-dom of phrasing the music, the fearlessness in the way they express themselves – these are qualities I admire very much.’ For Nebel, the attraction of Gelgotas’s music lies in its power, physicality and emotional directness. ‘Gedimi-nas plays with your emotions, and his music can transform your mood,’ he says. ‘With the Violin Concerto, the biggest challenge for the soloist is keeping the energy through the piece. It’s powerful, physical music, and you have to be strong to play it well.’

A concerto composed in 1911 – Carl Nielsen’s neoclassical Violin Concerto – will form the centrepiece of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s concerts in St Petersburg and Moscow. In this melodic, virtuosic and characteristically witty concerto, the orchestra will be joined by the Russian-born violinist Mikhail Simonyan, whom we welcome back after his acclaimed perfor-mances of Philip Glass’s Violin Concerto No. 2 ‘The American Four Seasons’ on the Baltic Sea Philharmonic’s 2017 ‘Waterworks’ tour.

Baltic Sea PhilharmonicKristjan Järvi David Nebel

Kristjan Järvi (1972)Aurora

Gediminas Gelgotas (1986)Violin Concerto

P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)The Sleeping Beauty – from memoryconcert suite arranged by Kristjan Järvi

11 March 2019, 8.00 pmPalanga (Palanga Concert Hall),Lithuania

12 March 2019, 8.00 pmRiga (Great Guild Concert Hall),Latvia

16 March 2019, 8.00 pmTallinn (Estonia Concert Hall),Estonia

Baltic Sea PhilharmonicKristjan Järvi Mikhail Simonyan

Kristjan Järvi (1972)Aurora

Carl Nielsen (1865 – 1931)Violin Concerto

P. I. Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893)The Sleeping Beauty – from memoryconcert suite arranged by Kristjan Järvi

19 March 2019, 8.30 pmSt Petersburg (Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall), Russia

22 March 2019, 8.00 pmMoscow (Tchaikovsky Concert Hall),Russia

‘Nordic Pulse’ tour 2019

Published byBaltic Sea Music Education Foundation e. V.Strasse der Pariser Kommune 3810243 Berlin, GermanyPhone: +49 30 297 702 90Email: contact@bmef.euwww.bmef.eu

Dr Dirk von Ameln, Chairman of the BoardRolf Seelige-Steinhoff, Deputy ChairmanFrank Häuser, TreasurerMatthias Warnig, President of the Board of Trustees

Kristjan Järvi, Founding Conductor and Music DirectorThomas Hummel, Executive DirectorJutta Loosen, Communications Director

Artistic CouncilValery Gergiev, Marek Janowski, Mariss Jansons, Kurt Masur (†), Esa-Pekka Salonen

EditorPeter Somerford

DesignBrousse & Ruddigkeit

PhotosAll photographs by Peter Adamik, except page 19 Kaja Bruskeland – Decca, pages 11, 37, Baltic Sea Music Education Foundation.

AcknowledgementsBaltic Sea Music Education Foundation is grateful for all the support received throughout the year from individuals, companies and institutions, as well as all music lovers. Many thanks to every one of them!

We offer our sincere gratitude to Prof Dr h. c. Cornelia Pieper, Consul General in Gdańsk, for her support for the concerts in Halle (Saale) and Gdańsk. We also sincerely thank Heino Wiese for his support to realise the concert in Halle. We would also like to thank all of our envoys for their support throughout the year and for their enthusiasm for the Baltic Sea Philharmonic.

We would like to welcome Lutz-Dietmar Falk, Dr Beate-Carola Johannsen, Jens Lange, Heiner Niessing and Dirk von der Wroge among our group of supporters, and we thank them and all of our supporters for their contributions to our educational programmes in 2018.

A great thank you to all the music academies involved in our 2018 projectsfor their support and help.

Baltic Sea Music Education

Foundation

Baltic Sea Philharmonic is supported by