Sir Simon Rattle Receives €250,000 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
Rattle will use the prize money to set up a new period ensemble comprising players from the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Germany's Ernst von Siemens Foundation recently announced that the British conductor Sir Simon Rattle is the 2025 recipient of the foundation's Music Prize, valued at €250,000. Rattle says he will use the prize money to fund a new period ensemble within the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, of which he is presently Chief Conductor.
Rattle will receive the prize at a ceremony on May 17, 2025, in the Herkulessaal of the Munich Residence. As part of the reception, Rattle will conduct musicians of the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks in Arnold Schoenberg's Chamber Symphony No. 1 in E major. The prize will then be presented to him by Siemens Foundation Chair Tabea Zimmermann.
Rattle is one of the most notable conductors of our time. After twenty years at the helm of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, in 2002 he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, where he remained until 2018.
Between 2017 and 2023 he was Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra, and he frequently returns to the LSO. Rattle received a knighthood in 1994 for his services to music, was made a member of the Order of Merit in 2014, and in 2019, was given the Freedom of the City of London.
"Sir Simon Rattle is one of the most significant and influential conductors of our time," the citation reads. "He is known for his exceptional interpretations, openness to diverse musical genres, and unparalleled dedication to educational work."
"I am extremely happy that this extraordinary prize enables me to support this project financially," Rattle said. "And it is wonderful to celebrate my 70th birthday like this."
PC: Rui Camilo
february 2025
march 2025