Klaus Mäkelä's season with the Oslo Philharmonic
Klaus Mäkelä has been chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic since 2020.
Klaus Mäkelä's sixth season opens with Mahler's Symphony No. 7 – the most enigmatic and least frequently performed of all his symphonies, yet the one Mahler himself considered his finest. With its vast orchestration and unusual instrumental combinations – including tenor horn, cowbells, guitar and mandolin – Mahler created an entirely new orchestral soundscape at the dawn of the 20th century. In tribute to Mahler, Anders Hillborg has composed a new work, Hell Mountain, which will also be performed at the season opening. Commissioned by the Oslo Philharmonic and several other orchestras, and dedicated to Mäkelä, the piece takes its name from the Höllengebirge mountain range that towers above Mahler’s composing hut in Upper Austria – a landscape that frequently echoes through his musical depictions.
Over the past five years, two composers in particular have formed a close bond with Mäkelä and the Oslo Philharmonic. Mäkelä explains:
“With Shostakovich, we delve into some of his most profound music – the Eighth Symphony, a masterpiece and perhaps his most tragic work, and the Sixth Symphony – his most intimate and personal. With Sibelius, we return to the Lemminkäinen Suite – one of his early works and at the same time one of his most original, with significant importance to the role of Finnish music in the nation-building efforts of the late 19th century.”
Mäkelä and the orchestra—both at home and on tour—are joined by two exceptional soloists: “It is an honor to invite both Lisa Batiashvili and Truls Mørk to perform with us,” says Mäkelä. “Lisa is one of the leading violinists of our time and represents music at the highest possible level, and Truls has been one of my greatest heroes since childhood. Performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with him is a dream come true.”
About the season’s concluding work, Kraft by Magnus Lindberg, Mäkelä says: “It’s like The Rite of Spring on steroids. Wild and crazy. Join us for what is guaranteed to be a season finale that raises the roof!”