Internationally acclaimed American conductor Lorin Maazel will lead the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Super Concert in Seoul on Feb. 6-7 at the Seoul Arts Center, replacing the orchestra’s chief conductor, Riccardo Muti.
Muti on Friday announced that he will drop out of the orchestra’s Asia tour this year due to a medical condition. He is reportedly suffering from a severe flu.
“I feel very sad, frustrated and upset to leave my wonderful musicians and audiences in Chicago and on this very important tour that I was expecting with great anticipation,” Muti said in a press release.
“I look forward to returning to Chicago in April when we can once again make beautiful music together.”
Muti’s withdrawal from CSO concerts is the latest in a series of health-related cancellations he has made since he took the helm of the orchestra hailed as the “best U.S. orchestra” by Gramophone magazine in 2010.
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Lorin Maazel (Vincero) |
Maazel, music director of Munich Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the most highly paid musicians, will take over the lead of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in a program of Stravinsky Divertimento from “The Fairy Kiss,” Brahms’ Symphony No. 2, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italian.”
Maazel is perhaps one of the most Korea-friendly conductors, having visited the country 10 times. He will visit Korea again with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra on April 21-22 at Seoul Arts Center, performing Beethoven.
By Bae Ji-sook (
baejisook@heraldcorp.com)
