Klaus Mäkelä

Klaus Mäkelä has held the position of chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic since 2020 and music director of the Orchestre de Paris since September 2021. In 2022, the Concertgebouw Orchestra announced that he will assume the title of chief conductor in September 2027. In the same season the Finnish conductor will commence as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

An exclusive Decca Classics artist, Mäkelä has released three albums with the Orchestre de Paris including Ballet Russes scores by Stravinsky and Debussy, as well as Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Ravel’s La Valse. With the Oslo Philharmonic, he has recorded the complete Sibelius Symphonies, Sibelius’ and Prokofiev’s first Violin Concerto with Janine Jansen and Shostakovich’s Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 and 6.

With the Oslo Philharmonic, Mäkelä toured Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and gave guest performances in Hamburg, Amsterdam, Paris and Vienna. With a focus on French composers and new works, Mäkelä’s fourth season at the Orchestre de Paris saw guest performances across Europe and a return to Asia in June 2025.

Since outstanding debut in September 2020, Mäkelä has returned to the Concertgebouw Orchestra several times each season with a wide variety of programmes. Their performances at the 2025 BBC Proms and Salzburg Festival are followed by an extensive tour of South Korea and Japan in the fall, and the start of an annual residency at the 2026 Baden-Baden Easter Festival, taking over from the Berliner Philharmoniker. At home they celebrate the 50th anniversary of the traditional Christmas Matinee.

In the 2025-26 season, Mäkelä returns as guest conductor with the Berliner Philharmoniker. As a cellist he regularly partners with members of the Orchestre de Paris and Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Mäkelä studied conducting at the Sibelius Academy with Jorma Panula and cello with Marko Ylönen, Timo Hanhinen and Hannu Kiiski.