© Todd Rosenberg Photography 2022
It’s the talk of the music world today. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced on April 2 that Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, 28, will be the next Music Director of the CSO, the 11th in its 133-year history. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of the CSOA Music Director Search Committee.
(Our own CSO has said that an announcement will occur this spring…)
Following a term as Zell Music Director Designate effective immediately, Mäkelä will begin an initial five-year tenure in September 2027. In this role, he will conduct the orchestra a minimum of 14 weeks per season: 10 weeks of subscription and other concerts in and around Chicago, plus four weeks of domestic and international tours.
Klaus Mäkelä leading the Chicago Symphony in 2023 in Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and other works.
© Todd Rosenberg Photography 2023
Currently music director of the Orchestre de Paris and chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, Mäkelä is already one of the busiest conductors on the planet. His rise in the classical music industry has been meteoric. Mäkelä will be 31 when he begins his tenure at the start of the 2027-28 season. That will coincide with his inauguration as Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He explained in a statement released today:
“From 2027-28 my main responsibilities will be my partnerships with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Until then I remain committed to my ongoing collaborations with the Orchestre de Paris and Oslo Philharmonic. I look forward to all the music-making we have planned for the next three seasons and to returning to both institutions on a regular basis after my official tenures are completed.”
He is leading subscription concerts this week in Chicago, and will return for two concerts next season.
Mäkelä made his debut with the CSO in April 2022, to both critical and audience acclaim. When he returned to the CSO podium in February 2023, Classical Voice North America marveled at “the potent chemistry evident
between Mäkelä and the musicians, not to mention between Mäkelä and the audience, on both occasions.”
The orchestra’s president, Jeff Alexander, who worked in management for the Cincinnati Symphony before going to Chicago, noted Mäkelä’s “exceptional connection” with the musicians and his “ability to deliver extremely moving performances of a wide range of repertoire.”
In a statement, Alexander said, “As we got to know him off the podium and witnessed – in addition to his extraordinary musical talent – his passion for the artform, keen interest in music education and the legacy of the CSO, and innate ability to connect warmly and sincerely with our trustees, volunteers, concert attendees, donors, and administrative staff, it quickly became clear that he was the ideal choice to lead the orchestra into the future. I am delighted with this outcome.”
Throughout its distinguished history, the CSO has counted 10 of the most notable and respected conductors as music director. Theodore Thomas, of course, was founding music director of the Cincinnati May Festival, and Fritz Reiner was music director of the Cincinnati Symphony before going to Chicago:
Theodore Thomas (1891 to 1905)
Frederick Stock (1905 to 1942)
Désiré Defauw (1943 to 1947)
Artur Rodzinski (1947 to 1948)
Rafael Kubelík (1950 to 1953)
Fritz Reiner (1953 to 1962)
Jean Martinon (1963 to 1968)
Sir Georg Solti (1969 to 1991)
Daniel Barenboim (1991 to 2006)
Riccardo Muti (2010 to 2023)
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