“Simon Rattle, who turns 66 next week, will become Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, in Munich, in 2023,” writes Mark Savage in Monday’s (1/11) BBC (U.K.). “He will succeed Mariss Jansons, who died in December 2019. Sir Simon had been expected to remain with the London Symphony, and his departure is considered a blow. However, he agreed to extend his contract with the orchestra for an extra year, and will take up a lifetime role as Conductor Emeritus from 2023 onwards, the first such appointment to this role since André Previn. Sir Simon has strong links to Germany; and was previously chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic for 16 years. He lives in Berlin with his third wife, the Czech-born singer Magdalena Kozena, and their three children, and is also the permanent guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic in neighboring Austria…. The conductor is already scheduled to play three concerts with the BRSO in March 2021…. The BRSO added that the musician had signed an initial five-year contract…. According to The Times, one of the main reasons for Sir Simon’s departure was the declining prospect of a new concert hall being built for the LSO in London.”
Change font size
