For over three decades, Pärnu City Orchestra has enriched the cultural landscape of Pärnu as the only professional symphony orchestra in the Western Estonia region. This musical ensemble, which unites the community, has created a diverse cultural space and offers unique experiences to audiences in both Pärnu and across Estonia. The orchestra brings together talented musicians from Pärnu, forming a dynamic community known for its flexibility and stylistic versatility.
The orchestra is dedicated to promoting Estonian music as well as premiering and recording new works every year. Long-term collaborations with various concert organisations and internationally recognised top musicians have made it a prominent ensemble in Estonia‘s music scene.
As of the 2024/25 season, the chief conductor of Pärnu City Orchestra is Henri Christofer Aavik, who is a representative of the younger generation of Estonian conductors and a recipient of the 2022 Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Annual Award in Music. He has gained attention as a laureate of the 5th Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition and the 8th International Jorma Panula Conducting Competition. He has also conducted numerous renowned ensembles, including the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the 18th Century Orchestra (Amsterdam), Sinfonia Rotterdam, Staatskapelle Weimar, Jena Philharmonic Orchestra and Orchestra Senzaspine (Bologna).
Last season was extraordinary for the Pärnu City Orchestra – in September we started with the premiere of Rasmus Puuri’s violin concert (soloist Linda-Anette Verte, conductor Kaspar Mänd), in January the piano concert of Alisson Kruusmaa (soloist Johan Randvere, conductor Kaspar Mänd) reached the audience for the first time.
Bachtrack, the world’s largest database of classical music events in the UK, added both world premieres to its site.