Kristjan Järvi
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Kristjan Järvi (born 1972) is an Estonian conductor and currently both Chief Conductor of the Tonkünstler Orchestra in Vienna and Music Director of Absolute Ensemble New York.
He is the younger son of Neeme Järvi. His siblings Paavo Järvi and Maarika Järvi are also musicians. He is married to flautist Hayley Melitta.
Born in Tallinn, Kristjan Järvi spent most of his childhood in New York. He studied piano at the Manhattan School of Music (with Nina Svetlanova) and conducting. For three years, Järvi worked as assistant conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic before being appointed as principal conductor of the Norrlands Opera Symphony Orchestra of Umeå in Sweden for four years.
He has appeared as guest conductor with ensembles as the Russian National Orchestra, Bamberg Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Hallé Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra and Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra.
While Järvi's repertoire includes pieces from the Classic and Romantic period, he is also a specialist for 20th century composers and contemporary music, having conducted the first performances of works by Erkki-Sven Tüür, Peeter Vähi and also the music of Arvo Pärt.
