Sir Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Rattle will take on the role of Artist-in-Association with the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. A press release from Barbican says that this new role will be undertaken alongside Rattle’s appointment as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra from the 2017/18 season: « The appointment drives forward his desire to bring performance, orchestral practice, artistic creation, learning and discovery together in a single vision for the future. »
Sir Simon Rattle said “This is a once-in a lifetime opportunity to join up every element of our work. I am thrilled to become involved with this pioneering collaboration between a world-class orchestra, arts centre and conservatoire at the heart of one of the world’s great cultural cities. It gives us the chance to develop a unique offer of inspiring music for a new generation”.
As Artist-in-Association with the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School, alongside his music directorship of the LSO, Rattle will become involved in exploring cross-arts collaborations and special projects across the LSO, Barbican, and the Guildhall School.
Initiatives include:
· a series of commissions by the Barbican for Rattle and the LSO when he becomes Music Director
· an annual series of semi-staged operas mounted jointly by the LSO and the Barbican, launched with Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande in January 2016
· a regular series of orchestral ‘side-by-side projects’ by the LSO and the Guildhall School, launched with this week’s performance of Walton’s First Symphony
· championing the development of new Guildhall School postgraduate courses in conducting and choral training
· supporting the role of singing with LSO Choral Director Simon Halsey
