Sir Simon Rattle becomes honorary conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin

Yesterday evening, the Staatskapelle Berlin awarded Sir Simon Rattle the title of ‘Honorary Conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin’ in grateful recognition of his outstanding artistic achievements. With this award, the orchestra honours a particularly intensive artistic collaboration that has grown over many years.

The appointment took place following the acclaimed Symphonykonzert V on Monday evening on the stage of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, where Simon Rattle conducted the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Staatsopernchor and vocal soloists in a performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 2 in C minor, the monumental Resurrection Symphony. The certificate appointing him as honorary conductor was presented by Noémi Makkos from the orchestra's board in the presence of artistic director Elisabeth Sobotka, general music director Christian Thielemann and Berlin's Senator for Culture Sarah Wedl-Wilson.

Simon Rattle has been closely associated with the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and the Staatskapelle Berlin for 18 years now. In 2008, he made his debut at the opera house and with the orchestra with performances of Claude Debussy's Pelléas et Mélisande, staged by Ruth Berghaus. A total of ten opera premieres were conducted under his musical direction, six of which were dedicated to works by Leoš Janáček, whose music is of particular interest to Simon Rattle.

Over a period of 15 years, he realised a highly acclaimed and critically acclaimed Janáček cycle, which began in 2011 with performances of Aus einem Totenhaus and now concludes with the new production of Das schlaue Füchslein. This was followed by premieres of Emanuel Chabrier's rarely performed opera L'étoile and Mozart's Idomeneo. He also conducted productions of Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie and Charpentier's Médée, two masterpieces of French Baroque opera, both with the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.

Sir Simon Rattle and the Staatskapelle Berlin also have a long-standing collaboration in the concert field, with programmes that have included works by Haydn and Beethoven as well as Bruckner and Mahler, alongside music by Dvořák, Janáček, Weill and Birtwistle.

“The collaboration with Simon Rattle is of great artistic significance for the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and is also characterised by a special bond with our institution. With the recent premiere of Janáček’s Das schlaue Füchslein, the Janáček cycle he has been shaping at the Staatsoper for many years has been magnificently completed. The fact that we are able to appoint Sir Simon Rattle as honorary conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin is an expression of our great gratitude for this long-standing and close collaboration. He thus joins the special ranks of honorary conductors of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden – including Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta and Otmar Suitner, as well as our honorary chief conductor Daniel Barenboim," said artistic director Elisabeth Sobotka.

General Music Director Christian Thielemann: “I am delighted that my esteemed colleague, Sir Simon Rattle, has been appointed Honorary Conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin. His intensive engagement, particularly with the oeuvre of Leoš Janáček, contributes to the great musical flexibility of the Staatskapelle, for which I am very grateful to him.”

“For us as an orchestra, our collaboration with Sir Simon Rattle over many years has been characterised by great artistic intensity and mutual trust. His curiosity, openness and special dedication to music have repeatedly enriched and inspired our work together. The fact that we are now able to appoint him as honorary conductor of the Staatskapelle Berlin is an expression of our great gratitude and appreciation," said the orchestra board of the Staatskapelle Berlin.

The Staatsoper would like to express its sincere thanks to the friends and supporters of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and its main partners, BMW and the Hilti Foundation, for their support.