Klaus Mäkelä
(c) Sébastien Grébille
Today, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of the CSOA Music Director Search Committee to appoint Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä as the next Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO): the eleventh in the ensemble’s 133-year history. Following a term as Music Director Designate, effective immediately, Mäkelä will begin an initial five-year tenure as Music Director 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.
Mäkelä will be 31 when he commences his tenure as Music Director in Chicago at the start of the 2027/28 season, coinciding with his inauguration as Chief Conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. He will be the successor of Riccardo Muti.
