Cellist Klaus Mäkelä was born into a family of musicians and performers, and started conducting at age 12. His mother is a pianist, his father is a cellist, his grandfather plays violin and viola, and his sister is a professional ballet dancer. The Helsinki native is Chief Conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic, Music Director of the Paris Orchestra, and Artistic Partner and Chief Conductor-designate of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. And as of last week, the 28 year old musician is also Music Director-designate of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, making him the youngest person ever to hold that job in the orchestra’s 133-years. Klaus Mäkelä will begin his tenure with the CSO in 2027, and today’s Beautiful Music features him leading Oslo Philharmonic playing Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony #9. Use the link below to learn more about his life and career.