Simon Rattle
Born January 19, 1955 in Liverpool, British-German (71 years old)
Opera
Sir Simon Denis Rattle is a British conductor. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rattle was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2002 to 2018, and music director of the London Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2023. He has been chief conductor of Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra since September 2023. Among the world's leading conductors, in a 2015 Bachtrack poll, he was ranked by music critics as one of the world's best living conductors.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Career Trajectory
From his precocious beginnings as a percussionist in Liverpool's youth orchestras, Simon Rattle rose to international prominence as one of the most intellectually adventurous conductors of his era, transforming the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra into a world-class ensemble during his eighteen-year tenure and subsequently reshaping the Berlin Philharmonic's artistic identity toward contemporary repertoire while maintaining its legendary standards. His career has been defined by an unwavering commitment to new music, a profound interpretive authority in Mahler, and a rare ability to bridge the gap between institutional tradition and artistic innovation, culminating in recognition through a knighthood (1994), the Order of Merit (2014), and the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (2025).
Career Highlight
Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (2025) for lifelong contributions to music; also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II (1994) and appointed to the Order of Merit (2014)
Training & Education
Liverpool College; Royal Academy of Music, London (1971–1974); St Anne's College, Oxford (1980–1981, English Language and Literature)
Engagements
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Career Arc
A chronological journey through key moments
1955Born in Liverpool
1994For lifelong contributions to music; also knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
2014Appointed to the Order of Merit
2025Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
Available Performances
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