Picture gallery

After 16 years as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Sir Simon Rattle is now leaving the orchestra. A picture for every year:  our picture gallery shows you the most important Impressions of Sir Simon Rattle's tenure.

(Photo: Simon Fowler)

1/18

Welcome, Sir Simon! The beginning of a new era 

2/18

2002: The “new” and the “old”: As part of his farewell tour as chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado met with his designated successor in Vienna.

(Photo: Peter Adamik)

3/18

2003: “Le sacre du printemps”, the education programme’s first dance project was a sensational success.

(Photo: Matthias Heyde)

4/18

2004 – Two good friends: Simon Rattle and Simon Halsey, chief conductor of the Rundfunkchor until 2015, have realised numerous joint artistic projects. 

(Photo: Andreas Knapp)

5/18

Asia tour 2005: Press conference with Sir Simon Rattle and the former orchestra board members Peter Riegelbauer and Jan Diesselhorst

(Photo: Peter Adamik)

6/18

2006: Simon Rattle often worked together with pianist Alfred Brendel, who retired from concert life in 2008. 

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

7/18

2007: The Berliner Philharmoniker become UNICEF goodwill ambassadors. Sir Simon Rattle takes the blue cello case – symbolising their new role.

(Photo: Allessandro Cappone)

8/18

2008: European concert in the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow. The soloist is Vadim Repin. 

9/18

2009: Orchestra rehearsal with the Berliner Philharmoniker 

(Photo: Andreas Knapp)

10/18

2010: The performance of Bach’s “St Matthew Passion” in the staged ritualization of Peter Sellars was felt by Simon Rattle to be one of the highlights of his tenure.

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

11/18

2011: Sir Simon in action at a Philharmoniker concert

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

12/18

2012: Simon Rattle is acclaimed by the participants of the dance project “Carmen” after a successful performance.

(Photo: Andrea Kremper)

13/18

2013: The first Easter Festival in Baden-Baden starts with Mozart’s “Magic Flute”.

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

14/18

2014: Concert with Anne-Sophie Mutter at Carnegie Hall in New York

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

15/18

2015: Semi-staged performance of Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande”. The role of Mélisande is sung by Rattle’s wife, Magdalena Kožená. The picture shows Franz-Josef Selig as Arkel (l.) And Gerald Finley as Golaud. 

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

16/18

2016: At the special concert for refugees and aid workers, three Berlin orchestras and their chief conductors Daniel Barenboim, Iván Fischer and Sir Simon Rattle welcomed people who fled their homelands. 

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

17/18

Easter Festival 2017: Final applause after the premiere of Puccini’s “Tosca” with soprano Kristine Opolais in the title role.

(Photo: Monika Rittershaus)

18/18

2018: Simon Rattle conducts the BE PHIL Orchestra which featured around 100 amateur musicians from all over the world at the Open Day in the Philharmonie.