Photo: Rob Croes for Anefo · License: CC BY-SA 3.0 nl · Source: Wikimedia Commons
Riccardo Chailly
Born February 20, 1953 (73 years old)
OperaMusical Theatre
Riccardo Chailly is an Italian conductor. He is currently music director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and of La Scala. Prior to this, he held chief conducting positions at the Gewandhausorchester (2005–2016); the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (1988–2004); the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (1982–1988); and the Teatro Comunale of Bologna (1986–1993). He was also the first musical director of the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi (1999–2005) and principal guest conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra (1983–1986).
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
8 Principal Houses
Spotlight
Career Trajectory
Riccardo Chailly rose from a distinguished Milanese musical family to become one of Europe's most authoritative conductors, shaped by his apprenticeship with Claudio Abbado at La Scala and his immersion in Franco Ferrara's conducting pedagogy. Over five decades, he has held principal positions at the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, and La Scala, establishing himself as a master interpreter of the Austro-German symphonic tradition and Italian opera. His 2014 Gramophone Award for his Brahms cycle and his appointment as Music Director of La Scala in 2015—succeeding his mentor Abbado—represent the apex of a career defined by intellectual rigor, tonal sophistication, and institutional stewardship.
Career Highlight
Appointed Music Director of La Scala, Milan (2015), following Claudio Abbado, and won the Gramophone Award for Recording of the Year for his Brahms symphony cycle with the Gewandhausorchester (2014)
At a Glance
- Discipline
- Conductor
- Born
- 1953
- Active since
- 2014
Training & Education
Accademia Musicale Chigiana
Engagements
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Career Arc
A chronological journey through key moments
1953Born
2014Won the Gramophone Award for Recording of the Year for his Brahms symphony cycle with the Gewandhausorchester
2015Milan
Available Performances
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