By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The news Thursday that an "angel" had erased the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's $1.8 million deficit capped an impressive year for conductor Paavo Jarvi.

SEASON'S NUMBERS

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's 2003-04 season ended Saturday. Here's the season (excluding the final concerts) by the numbers: 8,300 - People at best attended weekend, with violinist Midori (Feb.19-21) 7,625 - Classical subscriptions sold 3,418 - People at season's only sell-out (Midori, Feb. 21) 2,500 - Lowest weekend attendance (conductor Andrew Litton, Oct. 3-4) 3 - College nights, attracting up to 300 kids each 2 - Orchestra tours to Japan (November) and Florida (March)

The anonymous gift, he said, is, "almost beyond comprehension."

"It shows what a great community we live in and demonstates the tremendous support of the community for us," he added.

The conductor looked tired but elated after a rehearsal with the symphony last week, as he recapped his third season as music director. His contract extends to the 2008-09 season.

"I personally get such a charge out of making music with this orchestra," says Jarvi, who conducted the season's final concerts this weekend. In his office backstage at Music Hall, Jarvi spoke about the past year.

You won a Grammy, became a father, became artistic director of the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and took two tours with the Cincinnati Symphony. What are your top three moments?

Personally, it was the birth of my daughter. It was something sort of amazing to me. She's three months and two days old.

It's hard to know what to put second. Certainly the Japan tour (in November) and especially the concert in Suntory Hall (Tokyo). ... It's very difficult for me to say, this concert was a number one highlight. Was (Stravinsky's) The Rite of Spring more of a highlight than Schumann's Second? The Schumann last Sunday was one of the high moments, for me.

At the end of your third season, how is the orchestra playing?

I have many long-term relationships with good orchestras in the world, but the results I am getting here and the willingness to try something new and go really into detail - and the technical capacity of the orchestra to deliver - it's not doable unless you really have a high level. Every musician in the orchestra must be proud of the way they are playing now.

Another plus is the recording contract with Telarc - one of two or three orchestras in the country to have one.

I think that (Telarc president) Bob Woods is a visionary. In a climate that is so difficult to sell recordings, he still records American orchestras.

Yesterday I got an e-mail from a friend with a radio show in New York. He's playing our Symphonie fantastique (album) on his show. This is why recordings are so important. We are now heard by thousands of people. In Paris, there was a whole radio series on the Cincinnati Symphony, and they called it "The new great orchestra in America."

Were you surprised to win a Grammy ("Sibelius Cantatas," with the Estonian National Male Choir and Estonian National Symphony Orchestra)?

It certainly was a surprise to me, because a Grammy was something that I never hoped for. I don't have the actual statue yet. ... I was amazed how much legal paperwork one has to fill in. You cannot pose with it, you cannot sell it, and you cannot use it for publicity purposes.

Where will you put it?

Probably in my house here. I'm actually still looking (for a house. He has a downtown apartment.) It's hard to do a sort of normal life and this life, together.

Will you have a summer vacation?

I have two weeks in August. I'll be at home, hopefully (at the Jarvi family compound) in Florida, because I would like to get some sun and go to the beach. I won't move.

Despite the $1.8 million gift, are you still worried about the symphony's finances?

I'm worried ... and I think that any music director would be. I want to get over these troubles.

Do you get feedback from the audience?

Yes, I get a lot of people writing me letters and e-mails (to www.paavojarvi.com) . I always read everything. And they don't only limit it to feedback from the concert (laughs) but some people want to know where they can buy the suit that I'm wearing!

So, where did you get your suit?

Paris. It's not a famous designer. It's a very funny story. I was on tour with the Verbier (Switzerland) Orchestra, and we had 15 concerts in 15 days. I was conducting in tails, and after maybe six days, I could not possibly wear them anymore. Luckily, I was in Paris. I walked into a shop and they said, this is what we have. I tried it on, and I bought six of them. Then I stopped conducting in tails.

Has concert attendance met your expectations?

There are two sides to the answer: I always would love to see more people. But seeing 2,500 in a hall with certain regularity is very good. I must say, I notice many more young people, and many more young families. I like that.

Have you seen much of Cincinnati?

I haven't been to the Blue Wisp this week, but before I leave I'll try to go. I wish I had time to get the know the city a bit more. I think once things ... well, I've been saying this for three years now.

E-mail gelfand@enquirer.com