When Riccardo Chailly's extension expires in 2026, Myung-whun Chung, a Korean national, takes on the role of music director at La Scala. Chung, born in Seoul in 1953, is a former music director of the Paris Opera and later of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia orchestra. He is currently the primary guest conductor of the Staatskapelle in Dresden and is one of the most highly quoted conductors at international level. The preference for Chung over the Italian maestro Daniele Gatti, whose appointment has long been assumed, would have also been influenced by the desire to relaunch La Scala on international tours with an opening to the wealthy Asia market, where Chung is a star. Chung first arrived at La Scala in 1989, also performing as a pianist. He has conducted nine operatic titles: more electrifying in his early days, in 1992, with a highly modern Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Shostakovich, than in his more recent Fidelio in 2018. He has performed 141 concerts, putting him at the top of the guest conductor standings. After directing music at Rome's Santa Cecilia and Paris's Bastille, he currently holds honorary titles in Tokyo, with Radio France, and with KBS in South Korea.