Sir Simon Rattle and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Mozart’s Last Symphonies

At his debut with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1987, he impressed with his energetic conducting style, his unconditional enthusiasm for the music, and his artistic vision. It was for these qualities, among others, that the orchestra chose him as chief conductor in 2002. During his 16-year tenure, he and the musicians set the course for the future: the education programme, the Digital Concert Hall streaming portal and the Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings label were founded. In addition to symphonic cycles by Sibelius, Mahler, Brahms, Schumann and Beethoven, artistic highlights of the collaboration included the performances of Bach's St Matthew and St John Passion staged by Peter Sellars and the introduction of the Late Night Concerts. Even after the end of his tenure, Sir Simon Rattle - Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2023 and Chief Conductor of the Bavarian Radio Choir and Symphony Orchestra since 2023/24 - remains closely associated with the Berliner Philharmoniker.

It defines itself as a ‘nomadic collective’, meeting regularly for projects and tours in Europe and around the world. The core of the orchestra consists of 45 members from 20 countries. Its characteristic sound is the result of an intensive artistic dialogue – orchestral repertoire is approached like chamber music. The orchestra has a long-standing artistic partnership with Daniel Harding, its current honorary conductor. Other partners include the violinist Pekka Kuusisto and the pianists Mitsuko Uchida and Leif Ove Andsnes. While the Mahler Chamber Orchestra initially focussed on the classical-romantic repertoire, contemporary music was also added over time. In 2012, for example, George Benjamin composed the opera Written on Skin, which was performed at the Philharmonie Berlin in 2018, for the orchestra's specific sound. Today, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra is a regular guest at Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation concerts.