History
Sir Simon Rattle – Education

With Sir Simon Rattle’s appointment, the orchestra not only succeeded in recruiting one of the most talented conductors of the younger generation but also in introducing a series of important innovations. The conversion of the orchestra into a public foundation, the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker, on 1 January 2002 has provided a modern structure which allows a broad range of opportunities for creative development while ensuring the ensemble’s economic viability. The foundation enjoys the generous support of the Deutsche Bank, its principal sponsor.

One focus of this sponsorship is the Education Programme, which was established, when Sir Simon Rattle assumed his post and through which the orchestra addresses a broad public – young people in particular. Sir Simon Rattle has summarised his intentions as follows: „The Education Programme reminds us that music is no mere luxury, but instead a fundamental need. Music must be a vital and essential element in the life of each individual.” This means an expansion of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s cultural mandate, one to which it is dedicating itself with characteristic commitment.

For this commitment the Berliner Philharmoniker and its artistic director were appointed as international UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, an honour conferred for the first time on an artistic ensemble. The formal appointment took place in November 2007 in New York before the performance of the dance project The Rite of Spring at the United Palace Theater in Harlem, which was presented as part of the Berlin in Lights Festival at Carnegie Hall during the Berliner Philharmoniker’s ten-day residency.

As a result of the Stiftung Berliner Philharmoniker’s desire to open up the Philharmonie to wider sections of the population and make it an attractive location during the day as well, two new concert formats were launched during the 2007/2008 season. In the chamber music series Alla turca, artists from the Orient and Occident come together for cultural dialogue and introduce their music, exploring the historical and cultural differences of the two cultures. During the free Lunchtime Concerts presented every Tuesday in the Foyer of the Philharmonie, outstanding chamber music works are performed by ensembles from the Berliner Philharmoniker, the city’s universities and other Berlin orchestras.

Together with their partner, the Deutsche Bank, the Berliner Philharmoniker launched an innovative and promising project in January 2009: the Digital Concert Hall. Concerts by the Berliner Philharmoniker can now be enjoyed live in the Internet and retrieved from the video archive of the Digital Concert Hall at any time.