CSO Under the Direction of Klaus Mäkelä Brings Paris to Chicago

On March 5, 2026, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed under the direction of Klaus Mäkelä. Below is the program and my notes from the evening.

Program

Chicago Symphony Orchestra — March 5, 2026
Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

Works performed

• Milhaud: Le Bœuf sur le toit (“The Ox on the Roof”)
• Gershwin: An American in Paris
• Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

Notes & reactions

This concert was nearly sold out. There were no student tickets and only rush tickets for the main floor. I managed to secure my ticket only a couple of hours before the show, and it was worth it. The program was essentially a two-hour trip to Paris. That felt especially fitting given the young maestro’s appointment as music director of the Orchestre de Paris. My seat was extremely close to the stage, so the balance was unusual; however, it was nice to see the communication between the conductor and the musicians.

Milhaud: Le Bœuf sur le toit (“The Ox on the Roof”)

The night started with a playful, light piece. It was a great opening for a peaceful and happy first half of the concert. The orchestra’s ability to indulge us with the Brazilian-inspired themes was convincing. There is not much more to say, but it was definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Gershwin: An American in Paris

The next piece on the program was Gershwin’s iconic An American in Paris. At some point, almost everyone has heard this piece. I genuinely enjoyed the performance. The string section sounded extremely clean and elegant.

Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring

I had previously watched Mäkelä conduct The Rite of Spring in a Carnegie Hall recording with the Orchestre de Paris. I was in New York City at the time, but the concert was fully sold out. Luckily for me, Medici TV later offered it on its streaming platform. Based on what I saw there, I had a feeling this would be the piece in which Mäkelä would really showcase his abilities.

For the first half of the concert, I had the impression that the musicians were, for the most part, leading the conductor. From my very close seat, I could tell that none of the principals were really paying much attention to him. There were occasional glances from the principal cellist toward the conductor, but not much more. In The Rite of Spring, though, the conductor became part of the orchestra, leading them and helping bring this insane piece to life. The bassoon was not as precise as what I had heard in recordings, but it was still amazing to hear how Mäkelä paced the orchestra.

Photo

Closing thoughts

In the grand scheme of the concert, I think the first half did little to help Mäkelä justify his appointment. He is very young, and many may say inexperienced; I agree. I think his talent and ability to shape a large work were highlighted in the second half of the concert. He made me feel excited again about a piece I have heard many, many times. He knew how to make sure the orchestra did not give away too much at the start. I think this piece may remain a staple of his repertoire. He still has room to grow and perhaps fully develop into the role of music director of one of the biggest orchestras in the United States.