To kick off season 2019/20, Klaus Mäkelä makes his first appearance in the UK conducting the Hallé​’s season opening concert. He appears with the Orchestra on 19, 22 and 25 September at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, and on 21 September at Sheffield City Hall. The programme including one of his signature works – Shostakovich’s Symphony No.5 – as well as Beethoven’s The Creatures of Prometheus Overture and, Piano Concerto No.1 with Víkingur Ólafsson.

Mäkelä returns to the UK several times over the 2019/20 season. He conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra on 10 October at Usher Hall in Edinburgh, 11 October at Glasgow City Halls and 12 October at Aberdeen Music Hall. The all-Mozart programme which includes the Requiem in D minor with soloists Simone Kermes, Hanna Hipp, Markus Brutscher and Markus Suihkonen.

In February 2020 Mäkelä travels to Birmingham to conduct the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra on 6 and 8 February at Symphony Hall and on 7 February at the Cambridge Corn Exchange. The programme features Berlioz’ Symphonie fantastique and Bartók’s Violin Concerto No.2 with Nicola Benedetti.

Mäkelä then conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra on 27 May 2020 at the Royal Festival Hall. He marks his London debut with Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2 in E minor and, Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor with Ray Chen.