Klaus Mäkelä

Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä has held the position of chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic since 2020 and music director of the Orchestre de Paris since 2021. He assumes the title of chief conductor of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in September 2027 and, in the same season, begins his tenure as Zell 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. 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. 

With the Oslo Philharmonic, Mäkelä has undertaken tours of Asia and Europe and recorded the complete Sibelius Symphonies, Sibelius’ and Prokofiev’s first Violin Concerto with Janine Jansen and Shostakovich’s Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 and 6. 

Since his outstanding debut in September 2020, Mäkelä has returned to the Concertgebouw Orchestra several times each season with a wide variety of programmes. The 2025-26 season saw performances at the BBC Proms and Salzburg Festival, an extensive tour of South Korea and Japan, the 50th anniversary of the traditional Christmas Matinee and the start of an annual residency at the Baden-Baden Easter Festival, taking over from the Berliner Philharmoniker.

Mäkelä recently guest conducted both the Wiener and 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.