A big move at the trade deadline in classical music occurred as conductor Simon Rattle announced that he would be leaving the Berlin Philharmonic to take the role of the music director for the London Symphony Orchestra (from Billboard).
Rattle first joined the Philharmonic during 2002 and his new gig at the LSO won't begin until 2017, meaning he will have served in his current role for 15 years when all is said and done (although his contract with Berlin doesn't end until 2018...he plans on juggling the two roles for a portion of that first season). Although the Berlin appointment is one of the world's most well-regarded, his decision to switch horses isn't entirely surprising, considering that he himself is a native of England. That said, he played the role of politician well while handling press for the announcement of his new appointment. At least one reporter asked which orchestra Rattle considered to be superior.
"Yes, I'm leaving a world-class orchestra, and I'm coming to another, very different type of world-class orchestra," he responded to said questions. "Fortunately, as a wine lover, there's not only one kind of wine you can drink."
One thing is clear, unless Rattle changes his mind: This will be the conductor's last stop as part of his accomplished career. He indicated that his contract with the LSO was for five years, but our interpretation of his statements suggest that he could very well add more years at his new position...just don't expect him to make the jump to another position before retiring.
Although there's more than two years until Rattle takes his new role in London, he's already outspoken about what he hopes to do from his new seat. Among the concepts proclaimed was a desire to spread orchestral music to the youth and the desire for a new venue for the LSO. It currently performs at the Barbican Centre, an arts venue shared by multiple organizations. A feasibility study is to be carried out later in the year.
