Klaus Makela
Klaus Makela

Klaus Mäkelä

Conductor / Cello
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“He possesses a musical intelligence beyond the ordinary”

(Norrköpings Tidningar, 2017)

Chief Conductor & Artistic Advisor Designate: Oslo Philharmonic
Artistic Director: Turku Music Festival
Principal Guest Conductor: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Artist in Association: Tapiola Sinfonietta

Klaus Mäkelä is the newly appointed Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor of Oslo Philharmonic, beginning in the 2020/21 season. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Artist in Association with Tapiola Sinfonietta. From 2019 Mäkelä is also Artistic Director of the Turku Music Festival.

Following a season of stunning international debuts, in 2018/19 Klaus Mäkelä returns to the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, MDR Leipzig and Iceland symphony orchestras and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse. Mäkelä also begins his tenures with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Tapiola Sinfonietta where he is embarking on a Beethoven Cycle over the next three seasons. He will also make debuts with the Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre National de Lyon, Frankfurt Radio, Antwerp, Bern, and Malmö symphony orchestras and the Bergen Philharmonic.

Mäkelä has already conducted many Finnish orchestras and now appears regularly with Helsinki Philharmonic, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Tampere and Turku Philharmonics, and the Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra. 

Makela conducting
Klaus Mäkelä

Last season, Mäkelä debuted with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, National Arts Center Orchestra (Ottawa), Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, NDR Radiophilharmonie, Orquesta Sinfonica de Galicia, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, Finnish Radio, Lahti, Norrköping, Iceland and Kristiansand symphony orchestras, Kammerakademie Potsdam (where he also led from the cello), and Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne. He also returned to Gothenburg Symphony, Helsinki and Turku philharmonic orchestras.

Also working in opera, Mäkelä made his operatic debut in with the Finnish National Opera conducting The Magic Flute. His relationship with the FNO began in 2016/17 conducting a concertante performance of Erkki Melartin’s Aino.

At the Sibelius Academy, he studied conducting with Jorma Panula and cello with Marko Ylönen, Timo Hanhinen and Hannu Kiiski. As soloist, he has performed with Finnish orchestras such as the Lahti Symphony, Kuopio Symphony and Jyväskylä Sinfonia as well as appearing at many Finnish festivals including the Kuhmo Chamber Music and Naantali Music Festival.

Klaus Mäkelä plays a Giovanni Grancino cello from 1698, kindly made available to him by the OP Art Foundation.

Gallery

Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä

“The granite-like climaxes of the second movement, interspersed with atmospheric silences, were extremely powerful and at the end of the journey Mäkelä created an irresistible surge, finally unleashing all the pent-up energy from the preceding movements.”

(Bachtrack, October 2018)

“A high level of performance, led by Klaus Mäkelä, glowed with colour… Young Mäkelä delivered a masterpiece as an opera conductor”

(Helsingin Sanomat, May 2017)

“Oulu Symphony Orchestra seemed obviously liberated by the Mäkelä’s energy, particularly in Beethoven’s Symphony No.7 op. 92 in which the jubilation could be sensed throughout the whole hall.“

(Kaleva newspaper, January 2017)

“Our country’s music education system has produced a number of internationally successful conductors. The latest addition is 20-year-old Klaus Mäkelä. With a bright talent and determination he captured the audience of the Kymi Sinfonietta concert. His bold movements encouraged the Orchestra to play with real feeling.”

(Kymen Sanomat, October 2016)

“Mäkelä conducted gloriously – self confident and powerful, but at the same time graceful and controlled.”

(Rondo Classic, March 2016)

“The young Klaus Mäkelä is a great conducting talent. His debut with Tapiola Sinfonietta showed that in front of the orchestra he has a natural authority. His musical abilities are so strong that it’s easy for him to gain the trust of the musicians. In Tchaikovsky’s Mozartiana and Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, he demonstrated his fine sense of phrasing, sound, rhythm and nuance.”

(Helsingin Sanomat, January 2016)

“Klaus Mäkelä is an extraordinary talent, who will go far. He manages to channel his musical expression in a constructive way.”

(Huvudstadsbladet, January 2016)

“You can already now say that Klaus Mäkela is a true conductor”

(Turun Sanomat, March 2015)
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