The eminent French composer-conductor Pierre Boulez, conductor emeritus of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, has withdrawn for health reasons from the announced February-March CSO residency he was initially scheduled to conduct and, later, curate here.

“The CSO cannot comment on the specific nature of maestro Boulez’s health issues,” said Celeste Wroblewski, CSO vice president, public relations, via email.

Boulez, 88, who lives primarily in Paris, has suffered debilitating physical problems in recent years, including a shoulder injury suffered in a fall. He underwent eye surgery several years ago that led to his cancelling various podium engagements including CSO residencies in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.

The three young conductors Boulez had invited to join him during his winter CSO residency now will substitute for him in the two subscription programs he had originally planned to conduct. They are Matthew Aucoin, the current CSO Solti Conducting Apprentice; Marcelo Lehninger; and Cristian Macelaru. Macelaru also took over a week of concerts Boulez was to have directed here last season.

The programs remain unchanged, comprising music by Debussy, Ravel and Stravinsky.

Boulez made his CSO conducting debut in 1969, at the same concerts that brought the CSO solo debut of pianist Daniel Barenboim. He began a series of annual residencies with the orchestra in 1991, formalizing that relationship in 1995 when music director Barenboim named him principal guest conductor. He was only the third conductor to hold that position in CSO history. He has been conductor emeritus since 2006.

The most influential modernist in the musical life of at least the last four decades, Boulez has brought the same questing intelligence to his work in Chicago. With the CSO he has explored landmark 20th century scores, premiered numerous new works and offered bracing perspectives on established symphonic repertory.