© VBZ

«Tram for Two» with Paavo Järvi

How does our music director Paavo Järvi get around in Zurich? In the tram, of course. In the new video series «Tram for Two» he takes guests of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich on a ride through the city.

Episode 11 with Janine Jansen

In the eleventh episode of "Tram for Two", music director Paavo Järvi and violinist Janine Jansen travel through Zurich on tram no. 2. What do gymnastic exercises in slow motion have to do with the development of a new piece - or not? Janine Jansen gives an insight into her practising technique. And what are Paavo Järvi's plans for when he's over 90?

Episode 10 with Sol Gabetta

In the tenth episode of «Tram for Two», music director Paavo Järvi and cellist Sol Gabetta travel through Zurich on tram no. 2. What changed for Sol Gabetta when she became a mother? What was Paavo Järvi's trick to protect his children from jet lag on tour? Why did Sol Gabetta take an eight-and-a-half-hour journey every fortnight as a child - without a seatbelt? In this episode, Paavo Järvi also reveals what he has in common with Michael Jackson.

Episode 9 with Wayne Marshall

In the ninth episode of «Tram for Two», British pianist, organist and conductor Wayne Marshall accompanies our Music Director Paavo Järvi on a tram ride through Zurich.
Paavo Järvi and Wayne Marshall talk about George Gershwin and the cultural consequences of Brexit, about English cuisine and English titles. And then there's this question: why are the customs authorities looking for explosives in our music director's luggage of all places?

Episode 8 with Gianandrea Noseda

For the eighth episode of «Tram for Two», Paavo Järvi invited the Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda to accompany him on a tram ride through Zurich. How important is applause? And can conductors with their eyes closed recognise where they are by the way they clap? Paavo Järvi and Gianandrea Noseda talked about this on their journey in tram no. 8, as well as about Wagner, their long-standing friendship and their joint attempt to make Zurich more attractive as a city of music.

Episode 7 with Olli Mustonen

What is the Finnish tango all about? Which word means «wife» in Finnish and «ghost» in Estonian? And what would the pianist, composer and conductor Olli Mustonen do if music didn't exist? The answers to these and many other questions can be found in the seventh episode of our «Tram for Two» series.

Episode 6 with Margarita Balanas

For the sixth episode of «Tram for Two», Paavo Järvi has invited Latvian Margarita Balanas, who will be Assistant Conductor at the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in the 2023/24 season.
Why does a successful cellist want to become a conductor? Paavo Järvi asks the question, Margarita Balanas provides the answer. Apart from that, they soon get to family topics: Both have brothers who are also musicians, but who have very different artistic tastes. And music plays a central role in both families – and not only classical music. Margarita Balanas then asks another basic question: What criteria does Paavo Järvi use to select his assistant conductors? And why are they mostly women?

Episode 5 with Kian Soltani

For the fifth episode of «Tram for Two» Paavo Järvi invited our Focus Artist Kian Soltani. Zurich is much more of a familiar city for the Austrian with Persian roots than Vienna. The cellists of the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich have strongly influenced Kian Soltani. They agree: the orchestra's cello section is fantastic. The two quickly get to talking about the essentials in life during this tram ride: What is the difference between being alone and being lonely? What about the work-life balance? What is missing from the bucket list? And what does the Mongolian Symphony Orchestra have to do with all this?

Episode 4 with Corine Mauch

In the fourth episode of «Tram for Two», the Mayor of Zurich, Corine Mauch, accompanies our Music Director Paavo Järvi through Zurich. Both see themselves in their leadership positions serving the city and its residents. They discuss the parallels between their tasks and ask themselves whether they should swap places for a day. What does the Mayor like best about her job? Is art political? And how do Corine Mauch and Paavo Järvi deal with their power?

Episode 3 with Fazıl Say

In the third episode of Tram for Two, Paavo Järvi takes Turkish pianist, composer and focal artist Fazıl Say on a ride through the city.
Pianist or composer – which role does Fazıl Say actually identify with more? Even though he and Paavo Järvi are cosmopolitans, both are passionately committed to their home countries. This was recently demonstrated at Say's benefit concerts for the devastated earthquake regions in Turkey. And Switzerland? What compositions does he find inspiration for here and what restaurant does he never miss in Zurich?

Episode 2 with Antoine Tamestit

In the second episode of "Tram for Two" Paavo Järvi takes French violist Antoine Tamestit on a ride through the city.
How do musicians deal with alcohol? And what is the best viola joke? Our Paavo Järvi and Antoine Tamestit talk about these and other questions on their tram ride through Zurich in the second episode of our series "Tram for two".

Episode 1 with Emmanuel Pahud

Paavo Järvi takes flutist and Focus Artist Emmanuel Pahud on his first drive for «Tram for Two». The two quickly strike up a conversation and exchange views on private and professional matters: How often do they train to keep in shape for the stage? What role does nutrition play? How do relationships work out and what does a life on a constant journey basically look like? What music does Paavo Järvi listen to when he relaxes? How do they deal with the current world situation? All this and more in the first episode of «Tram for Two».

Translated with DeepL.com

We thank our partners