The Maestro celebrates a milestone: at 80, Muti reflects on his rich legacy

In the July cover story of Opera News magazine, Riccardo Muti discusses the post-pandemic arts scene, his upcoming 80th birthday (on July 28) and his tenure as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He tells F. Paul Driscoll, the longtime editor-in-chief of Opera News, that his relationship with the CSO has been like “a love affair. I have great respect for them. ... And we make music in a very happy way.”

After a nearly two-year absence, Muti is eager to return to Chicago and the CSO. “I miss my orchestra in Chicago a lot,” he said. “The music of the orchestra is the result of years and years of playing together every day.”

The article is reproduced in full below with the kind permission of Opera News, but it also may be accessed online at the magazine’s site (operanews.com).