These are the world’s youngest chief conductors

Klaus Mäkelä’s appointment today at the Royal Concertgebouworkest falls within a select historic category of under-30 chiefs:

Mäkelä is 26 and will be 31 before he takes full charge in 2027.

Previous youngest chiefs are:

Willem Mengelberg, Concertgebouworkest – 24

Patrick Hahn, GMD Wuppertal – 24

Rafael Kubelik, Brno Opera and Czech Philharmonic – 25

Simon Rattle, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – 25

Mikko Franck, Belgian National Orchestra – 23; Finnish National Opera – 26

Esa-Pekka Salonen, Swedish Radio – 26

Herbert von Karajan, GMD Aaachen – 26

Gustav Mahler, Royal Hungarian Opera – 27

Lionel Bringuier, Zurich Tonhalle – 27

James Levine Metropolitan Opera – 27

Gustavo Dudamel, LA Philharmonic – 28

Vladimir Jurowski, Glyndebourne Festival Opera – 28

Robin Ticciati, Glyndebourne Festival Opera – 28

Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – 29

Lahav Shani, Rotterdam Philharmonic – 29

Thomas Guggeis, GMD Frankfurt Oper – 29

Bernard Haitink, Concertgebouworkest – 30

pictured: Mäkelä, 2018