Around the Music Festival

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä as its 11th Music Director. According to the announcement, his term will be five years, beginning with the 2027/2028 season, and he will conduct a minimum of 14 weeks per season.

Makela, 28, was born in Helsinki, and will be Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway from the 2020/2021 season, Music Director of the Orchestre de Paris from the 2022/2023 season, and 8th Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra from the 2027/2028 season, the same season as the Chicago Symphony.

In 2021, he signed an exclusive contract with the prestigious classical music label Decca. This is the first time in about 40 years since Riccardo Chailly that Decca has signed a conductor to an exclusive contract, and with his record debut in March 2022 with the release of the complete symphonies by Sibelius, Makela is quickly climbing the career ladder.

According to the official, after his tenure with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra begins, he plans to focus on partnerships with the two orchestras, and until then, he will focus on his activities with the Orchestre de Paris and the Oslo Philharmonic.

PHOTO：Philharmonie de Paris　/　Marco Borggreve