Their name is their program: the members of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic come from the ten countries bordering the Baltic Sea, they are young - and they want to overcome borders. It is no coincidence that Kurt Masur, figurehead of the the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, played an important role in the development of the ensemble, which was founded in 2008. "Uniting East and West through music and culture" is what conductor Kristjan Järvi states as a central concern of his musicians. They had concerts in all of Europe, alongside stars such as Jonas Kaufmann, Martin Fröst and Jan Lisiecki. In addition, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic is characterized by new performance ideas: They like to incorporate light and video effects into their concerts, and the musicians play by heart. Workshops, conducting courses and concerts for students round off the orchestra's educational program. CLOSE

As a conductor, producer, composer and arranger, Kristjan Järvi has earned the reputation as one of the canniest and most innovative artists on the classical music scene. Whether at the head of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic or his Sunbeam Productions company founded in 2016, this Estonian musician transgresses the boundaries between genres and styles and creates new paradigms for multi-sensory and fusion performances. As a composer, he has also been involved in numerous recordings for the film industry. In 2020, he launched his own label, nEscapes, to offer artists new forms of sound escapes. He is also the initiator of the electroacoustic group Nordic Pulse, which presented its first concert show in 2017 in Moscow. CLOSE

"What Olga Scheps does is not nice or cute; it's breathtaking". That's how one critic described the playing of this Russian-born pianist based in Germany. Trained by Pavel Gililov at the Cologne University of Music, Olga Scheps also gained other important musical impulses from Arie Verdi, Dmitri Bashkirov, Andrei Gavrilov and Alfred Brendel. In 2007, she debuted at the Ruhr Piano Festival, where she has since remained a regular guest. She also performs on numerous international stages. Her first album, devoted to Chopin, won her an ECHO Klassik award in 2010 in the "Newcomer of the Year" category. Her discography has since grown to include recordings that focus on Romantic and Russian composers. In 2013, the musician became a "Steinway Artist". CLOSE

To a certain extent, building bridges is part of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic's DNA - between people and nations, but also between works. Thus conductor Kristjan Järvi likes to couple music by different composers: in this case the "Swansong", Arvo Pärt's orchestral version of an older choral piece, the closing number of the incidental music to Strindberg's "Schwanenweiss" by Jean Sibelius, and "Nimrod", Edward Elgar's portrait of his friend August Jaeger. What all pieces have in common is their hymn-like tone, the broad orchestral layout in a solemnly measured tempo - this music needs no words.

Not only at Christmas time: Peter Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" music is a year-round listening pleasure. Yet the ballet about Klara's adventures in the realm of toy figures failed at its premiere in 1892. In contrast, the orchestral morsels that Tchaikovsky had already presented in concert a year earlier were all the more well received. His unerring sense of tonal color (with such exotic instruments as the celesta and bass clarinet) as well as his ability to put himself in the place of children's experiences come to the fore here. We play a suite version by conductor Kristjan Järvi.

In his entire life, Grieg composed only one concerto. He naturally devoted it to the piano, an instrument of which he was an accomplished virtuoso and which he showcased extensively in his short pieces. The Norwegian composer undoubtedly remembered Schumann's famous concerto, heard in Leipzig during his formative years. But once he returned to his homeland, Grieg's interest in Norwegian folk heritage was sharpened. His great romantic concerto, composed in 1868, reflects this nationalistic vein while displaying a pianistic bravura that met with Liszt's enthusiasm.

To a certain extent, building bridges is part of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic's DNA - between people and nations, but also between works. Thus conductor Kristjan Järvi likes to couple music by different composers: in this case the "Swansong", Arvo Pärt's orchestral version of an older choral piece, the closing number of the incidental music to Strindberg's "Schwanenweiss" by Jean Sibelius, and "Nimrod", Edward Elgar's portrait of his friend August Jaeger. What all pieces have in common is their hymn-like tone, the broad orchestral layout in a solemnly measured tempo - this music needs no words.

To a certain extent, building bridges is part of the Baltic Sea Philharmonic's DNA - between people and nations, but also between works. Thus conductor Kristjan Järvi likes to couple music by different composers: in this case the "Swansong", Arvo Pärt's orchestral version of an older choral piece, the closing number of the incidental music to Strindberg's "Schwanenweiss" by Jean Sibelius, and "Nimrod", Edward Elgar's portrait of his friend August Jaeger. What all pieces have in common is their hymn-like tone, the broad orchestral layout in a solemnly measured tempo - this music needs no words.