Simon Rattle to Leave Berlin Philharmonic in 2018

It was reported that Simon Rattle will step down as chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic when his contract expires in 2018.

For 15 years a regular guest conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Simon Rattle became its Chief Conductor and Artistic Director in September 2002. The Berliner Philharmoniker has for many years enjoyed close links with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela and, since his appointment, Simon Rattle has led two projects in Venezuela.

An exclusive EMI artist for many years, Rattle has made over 70 recordings for the label, and has received numerous prestigious international awards. Releases with Berliner Philharmoniker include Holst's The Planets, together with Colin Matthews' recently-written Pluto and Brahms Requiem, which won Best Choral Recording at the 2008 Grammy awards. Most recent releases include Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms (recipient of the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Choral Performance), Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, Brahms's The Symphonies, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker, Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 and Bizet's Carmen (August 2012).

In 2013 he and the Berliner Philharmoniker take up a residency at the Baden-Baden Osterfestspiele performing Die Zauberflöte and a series of concerts. Forthcoming seasons include opera in Vienna, Berlin, London and the Salzburg Festival; extensive touring with the Berliner Philharmoniker; and projects with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Wiener Philharmoniker and The Philadelphia Orchestra.