The Concertgebouw Orchestra has announced the start of a long-term collaboration with Klaus Mäkelä, who joins as Artistic Partner with effect from the 2022/23 season and will become the orchestra’s eighth Chief Conductor in 2027.

As Artistic Partner, Klaus Mäkelä will work closely with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, commencing this August with concerts at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Cologne Philharmonie and Berlin Philharmonie (opening concert of the Musikfest Berlin). During the 2022/23 season Klaus Mäkelä will lead the Concertgebouw Orchestra in five programmes and, in the years to follow, the collaboration will naturally develop, allowing conductor and musicians to spend more time together, both in Amsterdam and abroad.

The Concertgebouw Orchestra has an established tradition of long-term collaborations with conductors, including Willem Mengelberg, Bernard Haitink and Riccardo Chailly, from early on in their careers. By appointing Klaus Mäkelä Artistic Partner for five seasons before he takes up the position of Chief Conductor, the orchestra looks forward to embarking on a new journey that promises many years of artistic excellence and new discoveries.