By Ulrich Steinkohl, dpa
Berlin (dpa) – British conductor Simon Rattle, whose work at the helm of the Berlin Philharmonic from 2002 to 2018 made him a star in Germany, was honoured with one of the nation’s highest awards on Tuesday.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier bestowed the “highly deserving artist” with the Grand Cross of Merit with Star of the Order of Merit in a ceremony at Bellevue Palace in the German capital.
Steinmeier praised the 67-year-old conductor, who also has German citizenship, as an “extremely likeable representative of musical life.”
He added, “In person, you are a testimony to the music that you bring to life with your orchestras.”
The type of award handed to Rattle is relatively rare in Germany, having last been given to BioNTech founders Özlem Türeci and Ugur Sahin, who developed one of the world’s first Covid-19 vaccines.
The German head of state described Rattle as “our Simon,” referring to his popularity in the capital.
Steinmeier also credited him with opening up the Berlin Philharmonic to the public “in a completely new way,” recalling projects such as the Digital Concert Hall app, family events and an education programme designed to introduce children and young people to classical music.
Rattle is currently at the helm of the London Symphony Orchestra and is due to take over the direction of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BR) next year.
In his speech on Tuesday, he recalled the moment when he first experienced the sound of the Berlin Philharmonic as a conductor.
“No notes came towards me, but waves of sound flooded me. I felt as if I had found my voice at that moment,” he said.
Rattle said he was “full of anticipation for the next chapter,” describing the Bavarian orchestra in Munich as “so warm, flexible and generous.”
The star conductor also paid homage to Berlin, where he spent 16 years as artistic director of the Philharmonic and built a home with his family.
“It is no exaggeration to say that we love Berlin,” he said.
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