Riccardo Muti undergoes surgery

Italian maestro Riccardo Muti underwent facial surgery on Monday after he fainted during a rehearsal with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and broke his jaw, officials said.

“The surgery went extremely well and I’m pleased with the outcome,” surgeon Alexis Olsson said in a statement.

“I anticipate that Mro Muti will make a full recovery.”

Mro Muti, 69, had his jaw temporarily wired shut to facilitate healing and continues to undergo testing to determine why he fainted on Thursday. It was the second time the conductor became so ill he had to cancel a performance since he took over as music director of the CSO last year.

He cut short his first residency with the orchestra in October when he flew home to Milan to be treated for severe abdominal pains. His doctors determined the pain was brought on by acute physical exhaustion.

An orchestra official said yesterday that Mro Muti was in “good spirits” and “alert” after the fall.

“We would like to thank the doctors and staff of Northwestern Memorial Hospital for the care that they have provided to Mro Muti,” said Deborah Rutter, president of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association.

“We would also like to thank the many individuals from Chicago and around the world that have expressed their well wishes for the maestro. I can tell you that this tremendous outpouring has touched him deeply.”