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Simon Rattle
Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Rattle is arguably the finest English conductor since Barbirolli and, as Principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1998, certainly the most successful one.
Born in Liverpool in 1955, Rattle's formative studies were on violin and piano but in his teens he moved on to play percussion in orchestras. After studying at the Royal Academy and winning a conducting competition Rattle became assistant conductor with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (1974). An assistant post with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic followed three years later but it was Rattle's tenure with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980-98) that brought him to a wider audience. Rattle has conducted many of the world's top orchestras and has championed contemporary composers such as John Adams, Hans Werner Henze, and Thomas Ades. Of particular note are Rattle's recordings of Mahler's symphonies on the EMI Classics label which have won much critical acclaim.
Born in Liverpool in 1955, Rattle's formative studies were on violin and piano but in his teens he moved on to play percussion in orchestras. After studying at the Royal Academy and winning a conducting competition Rattle became assistant conductor with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (1974). An assistant post with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic followed three years later but it was Rattle's tenure with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980-98) that brought him to a wider audience. Rattle has conducted many of the world's top orchestras and has championed contemporary composers such as John Adams, Hans Werner Henze, and Thomas Ades. Of particular note are Rattle's recordings of Mahler's symphonies on the EMI Classics label which have won much critical acclaim.
