Riccardo Chailly spent the night under observation at Milan’s Monzino Cardiology Center after suffering a sudden illness during a performance at La Scala on December 10. His wife Gabriella reassured the orchestra in a message, noting that his vital signs are stable and that his therapy will be updated over the course of the day.

The incident occurred during Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, which had opened the theater’s season on December 7 to an 11-minute ovation. After the second intermission, the performance was halted, and medical teams - including an ambulance and emergency vehicle - transferred the 72-year-old conductor to hospital care.

Rumors about his health had circulated before the performance, and the unusually long first interval had raised concern, though Chailly chose to continue until the break. It fell to artistic coordinator Paolo Gavazzeni to inform the audience, explaining that given the difficulty of the work and out of respect for the maestro, the evening could not go on.