Foto: BB.LV / Пааво Ярви
The Estonian Festival Orchestra (EFO), currently on tour in Asia, has canceled its performance in the Chinese city of Wuxi due to the local symphony orchestra's collaboration with Russian musical institutions. As conductor Paavo Järvi told the newspaper Postimees, the financial losses for the ensemble could amount to hundreds of thousands of euros. He cannot yet specify the exact amount of the damage. > "It can be said with certainty that the Estonian Festival Orchestra will never perform here again," Järvi stated on Wednesday in Shanghai. ### Musicians Learned About Russian Collaboration Before the Concert As part of the Asian tour, the Estonian Festival Orchestra had performances planned in Shanghai, Beijing, and Wuxi. The concert in Wuxi was to take place in an unusual format: some Estonian musicians were to be replaced by performers from the local symphony orchestra. The members of the EFO learned about this on the past Sunday while they were on tour in South Korea. Initially, the news caused only disappointment, as the musicians had come to Asia specifically for performances, and the reduction of their participation affected their earnings. However, it soon became clear that the Wuxi symphony orchestra maintains close ties with Russian musical institutions. In 2024, the Chinese ensemble performed alongside the Russian National Orchestra at a concert titled "Hello, Friend!". In the autumn of 2025, the Wuxi orchestra also toured Russia, performing in Novosibirsk, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. In the Moscow concert hall "Zaryadye," the Chinese musicians held a joint concert with the Russian National Orchestra. The soloist was pianist Nikolai Lugansky. The tours were part of the program of the Years of Culture between Russia and China. On this occasion, greetings were sent by the Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova and the Chinese ambassador to Russia. ### Estonian Musicians Unanimously Refused to Perform On Tuesday, after the final concert in Seoul, the musicians of the EFO received information about the Chinese orchestra's collaboration with Russia. They demanded explanations from the producer, and by the next morning, they made a unanimous decision: if the performance in Wuxi took place in the planned joint format, they would not participate. The musicians' position was supported by Paavo Järvi and the orchestra's management. After that, negotiations began with the concert agency Harrison Parrott on how to legally formalize the refusal to perform and minimize financial losses. According to Järvi, the Chinese side does not understand the reasons for the decision and perceives it as an insult. > "They perceive it as an insult — as if we think it is inappropriate to perform with their musicians," the conductor explained. ### "We Have a Different History, and We Are Closer to Russia" Järvi emphasized that he understands the position of the Estonian musicians and does not believe it is right to collaborate with an ensemble that has such close ties with Russia. At the same time, the conductor acknowledged that such connections are widespread in China. > "If we do not want to engage with this, there is another option — not to come at all," he noted. According to Järvi, financial considerations played a decisive role in organizing the tours. To ensure the economic viability of the trip, the orchestra required a certain number of performances, and the concert in Wuxi was an additional opportunity. If the connections of the Chinese ensemble with Russia had been known earlier, the organizers would have tried to find another partner or canceled the concert, the conductor emphasized. Järvi also noted that attitudes towards collaboration with Russian institutions vary significantly in different countries. > "The English, Koreans, and Germans often do not understand what the problem is. And not because they do not want to understand. For them, it is just music: let’s give a joint concert and be friends. We understand why we are so sensitive to this. We have a different history, and we are closer to Russia," he said. ### Concert Officially Canceled Despite the potential financial consequences, the musicians decided to prioritize principles and reputation over earnings. A day after a successful performance in Seoul, where the 2505-seat hall was nearly full, the ensemble received official confirmation: the concert in Wuxi, scheduled for October 23, has been canceled. According to Postimees, the orchestra members welcomed this decision with relief. @terefinn greetings from Seoul!!! https://t.co/qYOL0mcD0q— Paavo Jarvi (@paavo_jarvi) October 18, 2026
