Estonian National Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra founded in Tallinn on December 18, 1926. The ensemble began with a trio led by Hugo Schütz and grew significantly over the years. Under music director Olav Roots, who took over in 1939, the orchestra performed both radio concerts and live symphony events. Despite Soviet repertoire policies, Roman Matsov, who served as music director from 1950 to 1963, conducted works by major composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven. The orchestra has recorded extensively for labels such as Chandos and BIS, and has been awarded a Grammy Award under conductor Paavo Järvi. Notable performances include Estonia's first oratorio, Jonah’s Mission by Rudolf Tobias, conducted by Neeme Järvi at the Konzerthaus Berlin in 2018. In 2025, the orchestra collaborated with Brazilian composer Maycon Ananias and American singer-songwriter Jesse Harris on Harris's album If You Believed In Me.
