musicmakers: Klaus Mäkelä, conductor

Young maestro Klaus Mäkelä has a distinctive new voice, and something very special to say about every orchestral masterpiece he's conducted in his meteoric career, which has seen him rise to the head of the Orchestre de Paris, the Oslo Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra while still in his mid-20s. In this thoughtful discussion with Gramophone's James Jolly, Mäkelä opens up about coming to music through his musical family (and hiding under the piano to hear his parents play Shostakovich), training with the great Jorma Panula, telling a story with every work he conducts, the heroes of his profession who have inspired and continue to inspire him, putting music before ego as part of an ensemble, and plenty more.

Presented with the generous support of Madame Aline Foriel-Destezet.