Bakels was the first music director of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, from 1997 to 2005. He now has the title of conductor laureate of the orchestra. Bakels initially had intended to step down from the MPO music directorship prior to 2005, after James Judd had been named the MPO's next music director in September 2003.[1] However, in April 2004, the MPO terminated the agreement with Judd without public explanation, and Judd never took up the post of the MPO's music director.[2] Bakels continued to hold the MPO music directorship until Matthias Bamert officially took up the post in 2005.[3] With the orchestra, Bakels has recorded several CDs for BIS Records, including music of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and of Edouard Lalo.[4]
