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Klaus Mäkelä to focus on Amsterdam and Chicago

On 2 April 2024, Klaus Mäkelä was appointed as the next Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, a commitment that begins in September 2027, coinciding with his inauguration as chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Until then he will remain chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Orchestre de Paris, as well as artistic partner of the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
image: Milagro Elstak
image: Milagro Elstak

On 2 April 2024, Klaus Mäkelä was appointed as the next Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with effect from the 2027/28 season, coinciding with his inauguration as chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. This allows him to focus entirely on his positions with two leading orchestras starting in September 2027.

He explained: ‘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.’

For the Finnish conductor, the Concertgebouw Orchestra and the CSO form an ideal combination of two leading orchestras, which opens up wonderful future possibilities of collaboration.

Managing Director Dominik Winterling:
‘On behalf of everyone at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra I congratulate Klaus Mäkelä and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) with this wonderful appointment. From 2027, Klaus will lead two of the world's leading orchestras. This is great news for both us and Klaus, considering that we have always had a good relationship with the CSO and the concert hall in Chicago, in which the Concertgebouw Orchestra has performed most recently in 2019.'