On 16 October at 21:00 CET the Oslo Philharmonic will premiere its first official concert with new Chief Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Klaus Mäkelä, filmed live in concert on 19 August. The performance will be launched on the Oslo Philharmonic’s website, Facebook and YouTube channel simultaneously, allowing audiences worldwide to tune in and follow the start of what will be an important new chapter in the orchestra’s 100-year-old history.

Mahler’s Symphony No.1 was chosen by Klaus Mäkelä for the opening programme as ​“a celebration of playing together and the perfect work to commence a musical collaboration.” Reviewing the concert Norway’s leading newspaper, Aftenposten, wrote ​“Under his direction, the orchestra seems top-trimmed and newly polished, not to mention newly charged, after shutdown and vacation. It is impressive, and it was a joy to open the season with a symphony that holds so much.”

Klaus Mäkelä made his debut with the Oslo Philharmonic in May 2018 and was announced as the orchestra’s next Chief Conductor in October of the same year. The initial three-year contract was extended to seven earlier this year ahead of his first season, giving what Mäkelä described as ​“the opportunity to really grow together and experiment on a great variety of different styles of music with an orchestra that I love.”