He will conduct the orchestra twice before his inaugural concerts as the ensemble's music director on October 12-13, 2006. In December 2005 he will conduct a program of Bach/Webern, Beethoven, and Nielsen works, and in February 2006 he will conduct Arvo P‹rt's and Anton Bruckner's third symphonies.

The contract J‹rvi has signed is for an initial period of three years, with an option to renew for two additional years. He will conduct 30 concerts per season in addition to two CD recordings and various tours and guest performances.

"I am very pleased to take over one of the most exciting German orchestras in one of the most interesting German regions," J‹rvi said. In addition to presenting historical performances and classical, romantic, and contemporary repertoire, J‹rvi said he wanted to expose the audience to such lesser-known composers as Nielsen, Stenhammer, and Tubin has already commissioned works from such contemporary composers as J‹rg Widmann, Marc-Andr_ Dalbavie, and Erkki-Sven T‹‹r.

J‹rvi is also music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and the Estonian National Orchestra.