Simon Rattle

Biography

Sir Simon Rattle is one of the most interesting and sought-after conductors of today. His passion for music has led him to acquire a vast repertoire that ranges from the 18th century to premieres by contemporary composers. He trained at the Royal College of London and was assistant conductor in Liverpool and Borough. In 1980 he was appointed principal conductor of the Birmingham City Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for 18 years of intense work, during which he gave the orchestra international status. A position to which he himself was projected by the excellent musical results, successes in programming and the support of the EMI label. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra hired him as principal guest conductor, during the Giulini era, and he made his debut with the main American orchestras.

In Europe, the Berlin Philharmonic invited him in 1987 to conduct Mahler's 6th, and his collaborations with this orchestra, up to 58, profiled him as a possible successor to Claudio Abbado. It seems that the vote was difficult and many predicted Daniel Barenboim would win, but the truth is that the musicians were looking for someone younger, with a more open track record in new repertoires, capable of giving the orchestra a more modern and international dimension. Rattle took up the post in 2002 and during this time, the orchestra has been introduced to new repertoires, but also to a conductor who is meticulous with the traditional repertoire, focused on the collective experience of making music in a group, improving, if possible, the quality of the ensemble.

Since his debut at Glydebourne in 1977, Rattle has regularly conducted operas and is married to the soprano Magdalena Kozená, with whom he has also developed an intense artistic collaboration. He has conducted at the Paris Opera, Covent Garden and in 2005 he debuted with Parsifal at the Vienna Opera and in 2008 at the Berlin Staatsoper, with Pelleas et Melisande by Debussy, a work with which he also premiered at the Metropolitan in New York in 2010.