Järvitütar
(Abstract of cover story by Mary Ellyn
Hutton in Flute Talk magazine, March 2006. www.instrumentalistmagazine.com)
The flute and Estonia seem to go together, especially with flutist Maarika
Järvi on the scene.
Like the rest of the musical Järvi family,
including father Neeme and brothers Paavo and Kristjan, all famous conductors,
Maarika is an active proponent of the music of her native country.
Since moving from orchestra principal to solo artist in 1999, she
has premiered flute concertos by Peeter Vähi, Urmas Sisak, Eino Tamberg and
Rene Eespere, all dedicated to her. She has made two CDs of Estonian flute
music, both with the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Kristjan Järvi.
Her repertoire includes 16 concertos by Estonian composers, 13 for flute, three
for flute and other instruments.
Järvi, 41, has performed with
orchestras in Europe, Japan, Canada and the U.S. She is a regular member of
Absolute, the New York-based electro-acoustic ensemble founded and led by
Kristjan Järvi. In 2001, she co-founded Martinika with bassoonist and
fellow Estonian Martin Kuuskmann, a member of Absolute whom she met at a
birthday party for Paavo in New York. They perform regularly as a duo and on
occasion with additional instruments.
Järvi's home base is Geneva,
where she lives with her husband Olivier Alric, a World Trade Organization
official, and their two-year-old daughter Adele.
The flute had to compete
with languages and a keen interest in the world for Järvi's affections. She
adopted it at age 12 after being given a recorder by Kalju West, a flutist in
the Estonian National Orchestra.