Riccardo Muti

Conductor Riccardo Muti has been regarded as the Toscanini of the present day. Not just a Toscanini-style taskmaster who preaches fidelity to the score and presides over intense, hard-driven performances, Muti insists on a beautiful tone as well as a disciplined ensemble, capitalizing on a youthful Italian glamour. In 2004, Muti founded the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini and continues to serve as its music director. Since 2010, he has been the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A popular guest conductor internationally, returned in 2021 for his sixth turn with the baton at the Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert. That year, he was heard leading the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a performance of Verdi's Requiem.