Sir Simon Rattle

Simon Rattle was born in Liverpool and studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. His conducting titles included Principal Guest Conductor of the Rotterdam and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras. In 1980 he became Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, then Music Director from September 1990 until August 1998 and he was also Artistic Adviser of the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group. As guest conductor, he appeared regularly in the United States, London and Europe, building close links with a number or orchestras. Since the early 1990s, he has been a Principal Artist of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and also established a very close rapport with Vienna Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestras. He became Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Berliner Philharmoniker in September 2002 and Music Director of the Osterfestspiele Salzburg, where productions have include ‘Cosi’, ‘Peter Grimes’ and ‘Pelléas et Mélisande’. He leads regular Berliner Philharmoniker tours in Europe, North America and the Far East and is currently conducting the complete Ring Cycle for the Aix-en-Provence and Salzburg Easter Festivals. The cycle will conclude in Salzburg at Easter 2010. Forthcoming opera also includes Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper and the Metropolitan Opera.

Photo: Mat Hennek EMI Classics