The celebrated Italian conductor Riccardo Chailly has re-signed his contract with Decca making him one of the longest-serving exclusive artists recording today: 28 years since his first disc for the label. The day after a sensational concert at the Barbican with his Gewandhausorchester – which garnered some of the most ecstatic reviews seen in London's press for a long time – Chailly joined Decca's General Manager, Paul Moseley to renew his long association with Decca.

Among the projects promised – all with Leipzig's Gewandhausorchester, of which Chailly has been Kapellmeister since 2005 – are a disc of the Konzertmusik by Paul Hindemith (his set of the Kammermusiken won Chailly a Gramophone Award in 1993), the Verdi Requiem and a new cycle of the Brahms symphonies. First up, though, is a cycle of the nine Beethoven symphonies which is scheduled for release next autumn ahead of live cycles at the Barbican, in Paris, in Vienna and "at home" in Leipzig.

At the signing Paul Moseley commented that “Maestro Chailly has been an important part of the Decca family for a very long time but renewing with him is genuinely rejuvenating for all of us. Every project he takes on is re-conceived from first principles and his partnership with the great Leipzig orchestra is recognised worldwide as simply electrifying. We can’t wait for his Beethoven cycle and realising our other new plans together over the coming years.”

Chailly responded that “Over nearly 30 years together I always felt Decca was ready to follow me not only in the core repertoire but with new adventures and risks. Our new contract will see a happy continuation of this philosophy.”

Riccardo Chailly has won many Gramophone Awards including, most recently, the 2007 Recording of the Year for his set of the Brahms piano concertos with Nelson Friere. He was named Artist of the Year in 1997.