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From Liverpool to Munich: Rattle’s Lifelong BRSO Connection Continues
A youthful inspiration becomes a lasting partnership.
Simon Rattle was sixteen when he first heard the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in his native Liverpool. Conducted by Rafael Kubelík in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, the ensemble showed him what musicians and a conductor could achieve through a shared understanding.
Fifty-five years later, that memory remains vivid. Now the orchestra’s chief conductor, Rattle has extended his contract with both the BRSO and Bavarian Radio Chorus until 2033, adding five years to an agreement previously scheduled to end in 2028.
Rattle said he could still remember exactly where he sat during that Liverpool concert. What struck him was the relationship between conductor and orchestra: they seemed capable of completing each other’s sentences. He believes the ensemble has retained that increasingly rare quality.
The connection came full circle on September 24, when Rattle opened the current season with Beethoven’s Ninth. Despite their existing partnership, it was their first performance of the symphony together.
His decision to remain required little persuasion. Rattle spoke warmly of the players and singers, describing his current happiness and excitement about the future. The ensembles welcomed the extension as an opportunity to continue a collaboration grounded in the conviction that music creates community.
That outlook also informs his plans beyond individual concerts. “Singen mit Sir Simon,” a participatory project involving professionals, amateur musicians, choirs and wind bands from throughout Bavaria, is already being planned again.
Meanwhile, the “BRSO barock” series will grow. Its performances on period instruments have attracted a positive response and encouraged increasing numbers of orchestra members to explore historical playing. Future concerts are intended to form part of subscription series.
For Rattle, the coming years will develop gradually, with repertoire spanning different eras. The extension gives that exploration time to deepen, while continuing a relationship whose emotional foundations were laid long before he arrived in Munich.