Event
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Visiting Orchestras Series
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Klaus Mäkelä, chief conductor designate
Lisa Batiashvili, violin
Glinka — Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila
Prokofiev — Violin Concerto No. 2
Rachmaninoff — Symphony No. 2
Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä, a rising superstar in classical music, makes his Artis—Naples debut with the esteemed Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra — an orchestra he currently serves as artistic partner and for which he assumes the role of chief conductor in 2027 — to kick off the celebrated Visiting Orchestras series.
Currently also serving as chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic and music director of Orchestre de Paris, in early 2024 the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (also part of this season’s Visiting Orchestras series) announced he would become its next music director in the fall of 2027. When the 28-year-old begins his role with the CSO, he will become the youngest music director in the ensemble’s 133-year history.
In this program, Mäkelä leads the orchestra through Mikhail Glinka’s Overture to his opera Ruslan and Lyudmila, inspired by a poem by Pushkina; Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto, which was influenced by sounds from the various locations the composer inhabited prior to his return to his native Russia; and Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony, a composition that proved so successful it helped fully restore the composer’s sense of self-worth after the public’s frosty reception of his First Symphony.
Join us for an unforgettable evening as one of today’s most exciting and dynamic conductors leads one of the world’s most celebrated orchestras!
Music and Museum
All Visiting Orchestras tickets include same-day admission to the The Baker Museum. Special museum hours on day of the performance: Noon-7:30pm. In addition, the doors to Hayes Hall will open 60 minutes prior to this performance. Arrive early to enjoy the exhibitions and light fare available at Heidi's Place.
The Visiting Orchestras series is generously sponsored by Judy and Verne Istock.
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Based in Amsterdam, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is among the finest and most revered orchestras in the world. It has long garnered praise for its performances of the music of Mahler and Bruckner and has always collaborated with the greatest conductors and soloists.
The orchestra was founded in 1888 and officially received the “Royal” appellation on the occasion of its Centenary Celebration in 1988. Queen Máxima of the Netherlands is patroness. To this day, the orchestra continues to foster long-term relationships with contemporary composers.
The orchestra’s very distinct sound is due in part to the unique acoustics of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. Another determining factor is the influence of the chief conductors, of whom there have been seven to date: Willem Kes, Willem Mengelberg, Eduard van Beinum, Bernard Haitink, Riccardo Chailly, Mariss Jansons and Daniele Gatti. Since 2022-23, Klaus Mäkelä has served as artistic partner, and he assumes the role of chief conductor in 2027.
In addition to approximately 80 concerts performed at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the orchestra gives 40 concerts at other major concert halls throughout the world. The orchestra expands its reach through videos, streaming and radio and television broadcasts. It also releases recordings on its Concertgebouworkest Live label.
Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä
Klaus Mäkelä has held the position of chief conductor of the Oslo Philharmonic since 2020 and music director of Orchestre de Paris since 2021. As an artistic partner of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra since 2022, he will assume the title of chief conductor in 2027. In April 2024, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra announced Mäkelä as its next music director, starting in 2027.
Mäkelä conducted the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in six programs during the 2023-24 season, concluding with Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 and Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 as part of a complete cycle celebrating the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth. He also guest conducted three orchestras in the 2023-24 season, having returned to the U.S. to lead The Cleveland Orchestra and Chicago Symphony Orchestra and to Germany for three performances with the Munich Philharmonic.
Lisa Batiashvili
Lisa Batiashvili
Described by The Times as “the complete musician,” Lisa Batiashvili commands her place among the world’s foremost artists with performances of great insight and expressive eloquence. The German-based Georgian violinist has been acclaimed by critics for her virtuosity, sensitivity and charismatic power. She was named Musical America’s 2015 Instrumentalist of the Year, an accolade reserved for artists of the highest caliber, and she also stands among the winners of Italy’s prestigious International Accademia Musicale Chigiana Prize. Batiashvili has developed close partnerships with many world-class orchestras, including The Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Staatskapelle Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich and Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
In 2021, the violinist established the Lisa Batiashvili Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented young musicians in her native Georgia.
The youngest-ever entrant in the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in 1995, she made her breakthrough as winner of its second prize. She was named winner of the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival’s Leonard Bernstein Award in 2003 and was awarded the 2006 Beethoven Ring Prize by the Beethoven Festival Bonn. Since then, she has also won a MIDEM Classical Award and a Choc de l’année, as well as three Echo/Opus Klassik Awards.
Program Book
Program Book
View this month's program book to get general information about Artis—Naples and to read articles about this month’s activities. View the program insert* for specific information about this event.
Program Book
Program Insert
* Program inserts will be available online approximately ten days prior to the event.
