Around the Music Festival

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra has announced that Finnish conductor Klaus Markella has been selected as its next principal conductor; the post of principal conductor has been vacant since Daniele Gatti was dismissed in 2018 for sexual harassment in a blitz.

According to the announcement, he will begin the term of principal conductor in the 2027/2028 season, but will become artistic partner and begin substantive activities as principal conductor in the 2022/2023 season.

Born in 1996, the 26-year-old Makela will serve as principal conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway beginning in the 2020/2021 season, and will become music director of the Orchestre de Paris in the 2022/2023 season.

He made headlines last year when the prestigious classical label Decca signed its first exclusive contract with a conductor in nearly 40 years since Riccardo Chailly. He made his record debut this March with the release of the complete Sibelius cycle.

Makela’s debut with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra was in September 2020. He has continued to make guest appearances and conducted tours to Hamburg and Reykjavik.

Photo：Oslo Philharmonic　/　Marco Borggreve


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