Conductor Klaus Mäkelä Doesn't Want to Be the Focus of Your Attention

Few faces in classical music are more recognizable right now than that of Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä — not because of his sculptural good looks and piercing blue eyes, but because he's quickly become one of today's most popular conductors.  At just 28 years old, Mäkelä has already racked up an impressive résumé, including his current roles as music director of the Orchestre de Paris, chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, and chief-conductor designate of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. But despite his face adorning posters plastered on concert hall facades across Europe, Mäkelä doesn't want to be the center of attention. When he's on the podium, he'd much rather you focus on the composers whose works he brings to life. Music lovers in North America will have several opportunities to hear Mäkelä's prodigious talents this month, when he and the Orchestre de Paris embark on a tour of Montreal, Boston, Ann Arbor, and New York, where the young conductor will make his highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut conducting Stravinsky's Firebird ballet and the volcanic Rite of Spring — two works Mäkelä and the orchestra recorded and released to critical acclaim on Decca Classics in 2023. In this episode, Mäkelä and I talk more about the upcoming tour and what he's most looking forward to when he steps onto the stage of Carnegie Hall. Plus, he shares how the visual arts inspire his artistry, the 18th-century composer he'd love to play chamber music with, and the importance of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's music during his childhood. — Classical Post® is created and produced by ⁠Gold Sound Media⁠® LLC, a New York-based marketing agency for the performing arts industry. Explore how we can ⁠grow your audience⁠ to make a lasting impact in your community.