View source for Riccardo Chailly

{{Short description|Italian conductor (born 1953)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Redirect|Chailly|others with the surname|Chailly (surname)|neighbourhood in Lausanne|Chailly (Switzerland)}}
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[[File:Riccardo Chailly (1986).jpg|thumb|Chailly on 13 August 1986 conducting a rehearsal of the [[Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]]]]
'''Riccardo Chailly''' {{postnominals|post-noms=[[Order of Merit of the Italian Republic|OMRI]]}} ({{IPA|it|rikˈkardo ʃʃaˈ(j)i}}, {{IPA|fr|ʃɑji|lang}}; born 20 February 1953) is an Italian [[conducting|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 [[Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra|Gewandhausorchester]] (2005–2016); the [[Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]] (1988–2004); the [[Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin|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). 

Born in [[Milan]], Chailly first studied composition with his father, [[Luciano Chailly]], in his youth. He continued with composition at the conservatories in Milan and [[Perugia]], but later shifted to conducting under Piero Guarino and [[Franco Ferrara]]. He made his conducting debut at La Scala in 1978 with Massenet's ''[[Werther]]'', where he had been assistant director to [[Claudio Abbado]] since 1973. Upon becoming principal conductor at the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, he embarked on performing standard symphonic works—particularly [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]] and [[Gustav Mahler|Mahler]]—but expanded the orchestra's previously minuscule [[20th-century classical music|20th century]] and [[contemporary classical music|contemporary]] repertoire. For 30 years he has recorded exclusively with [[Decca Records|Decca]], and recordings with the Gewandhausorchester have been particularly acclaimed.<ref name="Goodwin">{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Goodwin |first1=Noël |authorlink=Noël Goodwin |year=2001 |encyclopedia=[[Grove Music Online]] |title=Chailly, Riccardo |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.43938 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000043938 }} {{Grove Music subscription}}</ref>

==Biography==
===Early life===
Chailly was born on 20 February 1953 into a musical family of [[Romagna|Romagnol]] and French descent based in [[Milan]].<ref name="Guardian2002">{{cite news |last=O'Mahony |first=John |date=9 March 2002 |title=Maestro in the fast lane |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=13 August 2007 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/saturday_review/story/0,,664200,00.html  }}</ref> His father [[Luciano Chailly|Luciano]] was a noted composer and arts administrator,<ref name="Guardian2015">{{cite news |last=Maddocks |first=Fiona |date=9 October 2015 |title=Riccardo Chailly: 'I want to do things differently, to put life on hold' |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=18 June 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/09/riccardo-chailly-leipzig-gewandhaus-conducting-interview  }}</ref> holding positions at numerous Italian musical institutions, including as music director of [[La Scala]].<ref name="Pozzi">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Pozzi |first=Raffaele |year=2001 |encyclopedia=[[Grove Music Online]] |title=Chailly, Luciano |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.05363 |isbn=978-1-56159-263-0 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000005363 }} {{Grove Music subscription}}</ref>{{refn|Luciano Chailly's art administrator positions—both as advisor or artistic director—include [[La Scala]] (1968–71; 1977), the [[Teatro Regio (Turin)|Teatro Regio]] (1972), the Teatro Angelicum (1973–75), the [[Verona Arena]] (1975–76) and the [[Teatro Carlo Felice]] (1983)<ref name="Pozzi"/> Luciano was also head of the music programs for the [[RAI]] Italian radio.<ref name="Guardian2015"/>|group=n}} Luciano's ''oeuvre'' was centered on a [[Neoclassicism (music)|neoclassical]] aesthetic, influenced by his former teacher [[Paul Hindemith]],<ref name="Pozzi"/> which granted him an [[epitaph]] as the "Italian Hindemith".<ref name="Guardian2002"/> Luciano Chailly married Riccardo's mother Anna Maria in 1950; Riccardo has two sisters, the harpist [[Cecilia Chailly]] and the television producer Floriana Chailly.<ref name="Guardian2003">{{cite news |last=Woodrow |first=Ginny |date=9 February 2003 |title=Luciano Chailly |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=18 June 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/feb/10/guardianobituaries.artsobituaries  }}</ref> Taken by his father to his first concert at age 6,{{sfn|Matheopoulos|1982|p=499}} Chailly quickly became obsessed with music, explaining in a 2002 interview by ''[[The Guardian]]'': "I didn't do anything else, and always chose music over regular boyhood activities such as sports".<ref name="Guardian2002"/> Chailly studied composition with his father,<ref name="Goodwin"/> took private piano lessons and played drums in The Nameless, a [[free jazz]] ensemble.<ref name="Guardian2002"/> Despite Chailly's musical enthusiasm, his father was reluctant to readily encourage him. He was disappointed by his son's lack of interest in the technical aspects such as [[musicology]], his general mediocrity with instruments other than the drums<ref name="Guardian2002"/> and wanted to avoid any appearance of [[nepotism]].<ref name="Guardian2015"/>

Chailly studied composition at the music conservatories in Milan and [[Perugia]]. He later switched to conducting, studying with both Piero Guarino and [[Franco Ferrara]]. In his youth, Chailly also played the drums in a rhythm-and-blues band.<ref>{{cite news|author=Mark Swed|title=Bringing a Touch Of Latin Sunniness To Amsterdam|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE6D71E3BF933A0575AC0A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=30 September 1990|access-date=14 October 2007}}</ref><ref name="Goodwin"/>

At age 20, Chailly became assistant conductor to [[Claudio Abbado]] at [[La Scala]], where he made his conducting debut in 1978 with ''[[Werther]]'' by [[Jules Massenet]]. From 1982 to 1988, Chailly was chief conductor of the [[Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin|Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra]] and from 1983 to 1986 principal guest conductor of the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]]. From 1986 to 1993, he led the [[Teatro Comunale of Bologna]].<ref name="Goodwin"/>

===Career===
Chailly made his debut with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam in January 1985.  The orchestra announced his appointment as chief conductor in June 1985, effective with the 1988–1989 season.  Chailly served as the orchestra's chief conductor from 1988 to 2004.  In addition to performances of the standard symphonic tradition, notably [[Anton Bruckner]] and [[Gustav Mahler]], he broadened the repertoire with [[20th-century classical music|20th century]] and [[contemporary classical music|contemporary music]].<ref>{{cite news | author=Jessica Duchen | author-link=Jessica Duchen | title=Dutch courage | url=https://www.theguardian.com/friday_review/story/0,,269492,00.html | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=17 September 1999 | access-date=13 August 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Alex Ross|author-link=Alex Ross (music critic)|title=An Unpredictable Maestro Jars a Staid Repertory|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E6D81039F936A15751C0A960958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=25 February 1996|access-date=4 November 2007}}</ref> Among notable projects, Chailly led the 1995 Mahler Festival that celebrated the 100th anniversary of Mahler's first concert at the Concertgebouw. Chailly also conducted opera in Amsterdam, both at the RCO's annual Christmas Matinee concert as well as at [[De Nederlandse Opera]] (DNO), where his final opera production in [[Amsterdam]] was DNO's staging of [[Giuseppe Verdi]]'s ''[[Don Carlo]]''.<ref>{{cite news | author=Andrew Clements | title=Don Carlo (Muziektheater, Amsterdam) | url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/jun/09/classicalmusicandopera | work=[[The Guardian]] | date=9 June 2004 | access-date=13 August 2007}}</ref> One report stated that Chailly decided in 2002 to leave the RCO when, at his last contract negotiations, the orchestra offered him an extension for two years rather than five.<ref>Hugh Canning, "On the upbeat". ''[[The Times]]'', 15 January 2006.</ref>

{{external media|float=cleft|width=220px|audio1=You may hear Riccardo Chailly conducting the [[Gewandhaus Orchestra]]  with [[Nelson Freire]] performing [[Johannes Brahms]] Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15 in 2006 [https://archive.org/details/BrahmsPianoConcertoNo.1InDMinorOp.15/1.-maestoso-nelsonFreire.mp3 <br> '''Here on archive.org''']|audio2=You may hear  Riccardo Chailly conducting the Gewandhaus Orchestra with [[Nelson Freire]] performing [[Johannes Brahms]] Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major, Op. 83 in 2006  [https://archive.org/details/BrahmsPianoConcertoNo.2InBFlatMajorOp.83/1.-Allegro_non_troppo-Nelson-Freire.mp3 <br> '''Here on Archive.org''']}}

In 1986, Chailly conducted the [[Gewandhausorchester Leipzig]] for the first time, at the [[Salzburg Festival]], after [[Herbert von Karajan]] had introduced Chailly to the orchestra.<ref>Igor Toronyi-Lalic, "How Riccardo Chailly reinvented the Gewandhaus Orchestra". ''The Times'', 1 November 2008.</ref> His next guest-conducting appearance with the Leipzig orchestra was in 2001, and after an additional appearance, he was named the 19th ''[[Kapellmeister]]'' of the orchestra.<ref name="Canning">Hugh Canning, "Riccardo Chailly on LGO as Barbican regular". ''The Times'', 15 March 2009.</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Ivan Hewett|title=Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra: safe in the hands of Riccardo Chailly|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/ivanhewett/5089928/Leipzig-Gewandhaus-Orchestra-safe-in-the-hands-of-Riccardo-Chailly.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120914154010/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/ivanhewett/5089928/Leipzig-Gewandhaus-Orchestra-safe-in-the-hands-of-Riccardo-Chailly.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 September 2012|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=1 April 2009|access-date=25 December 2009}}</ref> In August 2005, he officially became the chief conductor of the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and general music director (GMD) of [[Oper Leipzig]]. His initial Leipzig contract was to run through to 2010.<ref>John von Rhein, "Chailly a possibility for CSO? Wait and see". ''Chicago Tribune'', 18 February 2007.</ref> In May 2008, he extended his contract with the Gewandhausorchester to 2015. However, he concurrently resigned as GMD of the Oper Leipzig, reportedly after a conflict over the hiring of personnel without his consultation.<ref>"Riccardo Chailly will Leipziger Oper verlassen". MDR Regional Sachsen, 27 May 2008.</ref><ref>Peter Korfmacher, "Chailly hört bei der Oper auf&nbsp;– Verlängerung beim Gewandhaus". ''Leipziger Volkszeitung'', 27 May 2008.</ref> In June 2013, the Gewandhausorchester and Chailly agreed on a further extension of his contract through 2020.<ref>"Riccardo Chailly remains at the Gewandhausorchester until 2020".  Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, June 2013.</ref>  However, in September 2015, the Gewandhausorchester announced the newly scheduled conclusion of Chailly's tenure as ''Gewandhauskapellmeister'' in June 2016, four years ahead of the previously agreed upon contract extension, at Chailly's request.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.gewandhausorchester.de/fileadmin/user_upload/05_medien/Pressemitteilungen/en/RC_PM_1500817_final__EN_.pdf | title=The End of an Era – Riccardo Chailly will end his work with the orchestra in the 2015/2016 season | publisher=Gewandhausorchester Leipzig | date=3 September 2015 | access-date=31 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.lvz.de/Kultur/News/Leipzigs-Gewandhauskapellmeister-Chailly-tritt-2016-ab | title=Leipzigs Gewandhauskapellmeister Chailly tritt 2016 ab | work=Leipziger Volkszeitung | author=Peter Korfmacher | date=3 September 2015 | access-date=3 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/chailly-to-leave-the-leipzig-gewandhausorchester-four-years-earlier-than | title=Chailly to leave the Leipzig Gewandhausorchester – four years earlier than planned | work=Gramophone | author=Martin Cullingford | date=3 September 2015 | access-date=3 September 2015}}</ref>  His projects in Leipzig have included an international Mahler festival in May 2011, featuring 10 different orchestras.

Chailly became the first music director of the [[Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi]] (La Verdi) in 1999 and held the post until 2005. He now has the title of Conductor Laureate with La Verdi. In December 2013, [[La Scala]] announced the appointment of Chailly as its next music director, starting in 2017.<ref>{{cite news | title=Al vertice della Scala arriva Chailly. Sarà il direttore musicale del teatro | url=http://milano.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/12/10/news/scala_pisapia_conferma_chailly_sar_direttore_musicale_dal_2015-73212244/?ref=HREC1-23 | work=La Repubblica | date=10 December 2013 | access-date=11 December 2013}}</ref>  His La Scala contract is currently through 2026.<ref>{{cite news | title=La Scala Opera Taps an Italian to Be Its Next Leader | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/arts/music/la-scala-opera-italian-leader.html | work=The New York Times | author=Elisabetta Povoledo | date=2024-04-16 | access-date=2024-04-18}}</ref>  In August 2015, the [[Lucerne Festival Orchestra]] announced the appointment of Chailly as its next music director, effective with the 2016 Lucerne Festival, with an initial contract of 5 years.<ref>{{cite news | title=Riccardo Chailly to Take Over Lucerne Festival Orchestra | url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/13/riccardo-chailly-to-take-over-lucerne-festival-orchestra/ | work=[[The New York Times]] (ArtsBeat blog) | author=Michael Cooper | date=13 August 2015 | access-date=12 February 2021}}</ref>  In February 2021, the orchestra announced an extension of Chailly's contract through 2026.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.lucernefestival.ch/en/blog/extension-of-riccardo-chaillys-contract-as-music-director-of-the-lucerne-festival-orchestra-75 | title=Extension of Riccardo Chailly's Contract as Music Director of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra | publisher=Lucerne Festival Orchestra | date=11 February 2021 | access-date=12 February 2021}}</ref>  Chailly is scheduled to stand down as music director of La Scala at the close of 2026.<ref>{{cite press release | url=https://www.teatroallascala.org/en/myung-whun-chung-next-music-director-in-2027.html | title=Myung-Whun Chung next Music Director in 2027 | publisher=Teatro Alla Scala | date=12 May 2025 | access-date=2025-05-12}}</ref>

==Recordings==
Chailly has an exclusive recording contract with Decca,<ref name="Goodwin"/> and his recordings with Decca include complete cycles of the symphonies of [[Johannes Brahms]], [[Gustav Mahler]] and [[Anton Bruckner]]. His Brahms cycle with the Gewandhausorchester won the 2014 [[Gramophone Award]] for Recording of the Year.  Other notable achievements include recordings of [[Igor Stravinsky]], [[Edgard Varèse]] and [[Paul Hindemith]]. More recently, with the Gewandhaus Orchestra, Chailly has led recordings of [[Felix Mendelssohn]], [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], Brahms, [[Robert Schumann]]'s symphonies in the re-orchestrations by Mahler, and a complete cycle of Beethoven's symphonies. His past recordings with American orchestras included ''Shostakovich: The Dance Album'' with the [[Philadelphia Orchestra]]<ref>David Patrick Stearns, "After all that, he'll take Leipzig". ''Philadelphia Inquirer'', 1 March 2007.</ref> and Stravinsky's ''[[Le Sacre du printemps]]'' with the Cleveland Orchestra.

==Personal life==
Chailly has been married twice. His first marriage was in 1974 to Anahi Carfi, an Argentinian-Italian violinist, with whom he had a daughter that year; the couple divorced two years later. He married Gabriella Terragni in 1982, from whom he has a stepson.<ref name="Guardian2002"/>

Earlier in his life, Chailly was an avid partaker in [[extreme sports]], including [[motorbiking]], [[speedboating]] and [[parasailing]].<ref name="Guardian2015"/> However, after he and his stepson were involved in a serious accident in 1985, Chailly abandoned these activities.<ref name="Guardian2002"/>

==Awards==
* 2003: [[Feltrinelli Prize]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Riccardo Chailly (Conductor) |publisher=Bach Cantatas Website |access-date=18 June 2021 |url=https://www.bach-cantatas.com/Bio/Chailly-Riccardo.htm }}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=n}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book |last=Matheopoulos |first=Helena |authorlink=Helena Matheopoulos |year=1982 |title=Maestro: Encounters with Conductors of Today |publisher=[[Harper & Row]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-06-015103-4 |oclc=8929684 |url=https://archive.org/details/maestroencounter00math }}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://www.riccardochailly.com/#/}}
* [http://www.deccaclassics.com/artist/biography?ART_ID=CHARI Riccardo Chailly] at [[Decca Records]]
* {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=q16902}}

;Interviews
* [http://www.bruceduffie.com/chailly2.html Riccardo Chailly interview], 28 September 1990
* [http://www.theartsdesk.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2657:theartsdesk-qa-conductor-riccardo-chailly&Itemid=80/ theartsdesk Q&A: Riccardo Chailly] (27 November 2010)

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{{succession box | title=[[Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin|Principal Conductor, Radio-Symphonie-Orchester Berlin]] | before=[[Lorin Maazel]] | years=1982–1989 | after=[[Vladimir Ashkenazy]]}}
{{succession box | title=[[Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi|Music Director, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi]] | before=(no predecessor) | years=1999–2005 | after=[[Xian Zhang (conductor)|Xian Zhang]]}}
{{succession box |title=[[Lucerne Festival Orchestra|Music Director, Lucerne Festival Orchestra]] | before=[[Claudio Abbado]] | years=2016–present |after=incumbent}}
{{succession box |title=[[La Scala|Principal Conductor and Music Director, La Scala, Milan]] | before=[[Daniel Barenboim]] | years=2015–present |after=incumbent}}
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{{Gramophone Hall of Fame}}
{{Concertgebouworkest conductors}}
{{Gewandhausorchester conductors}}
{{Portal bar|Classical music|opera|music}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chailly, Riccardo}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Musicians from Milan]]
[[Category:Musicians from Leipzig]]
[[Category:Italian male conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Milan Conservatory alumni]]
[[Category:Honorary members of the Royal Academy of Music]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian conductors (music)]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian male musicians]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian conductors (music)]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian male musicians]]
[[Category:Italian people of French descent]]
[[Category:People of Romagnol descent]]
[[Category:Decca Records artists]]
[[Category:Deutsche Grammophon artists]]
[[Category:Italian conductors (music)]]
[[Category:Chief conductors of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra]]
[[Category:Kapellmeisters of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra]]
[[Category:Chief conductors of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin]]