Initiatives include championing the development of new Guildhall School postgraduate courses in conducting and choral training

Today it is announced that Sir Simon Rattle will take on the role of Artist-in-Association with the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School. This announcement coincides with Sir Simon’s appearances with the LSO at the Barbican Centre this week, which further highlight his commitment and involvement with young people’s music-making, and this new role will be undertaken alongside his appointment as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra from the 2017/18 season.

The appointment drives forward his desire to bring performance, orchestral practice, artistic creation, learning and discovery together in a single vision for the future.

Sir Simon Rattle said, “This is a once-in a lifetime opportunity to join up every element of our work. I am thrilled to become involved with this pioneering collaboration between a world-class orchestra, arts centre and conservatoire at the heart of one of the world’s great cultural cities. It gives us the chance to develop a unique offer of inspiring music for a new generation”.

As Artist-in-Association with the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School, alongside his music directorship of the LSO, Rattle will become involved in exploring cross-arts collaborations and special projects across the LSO, Barbican, and the Guildhall School.

Initiatives include:

• a series of commissions by the Barbican for Rattle and the LSO when he becomes Music Director
• an annual series of semi-staged operas mounted jointly by the LSO and the Barbican, launched with Debussy’sPelléas et Mélisande in January 2016
• a regular series of orchestral ‘side-by-side projects’ by the LSO and the Guildhall School, launched with this week’s performance of Walton’s First Symphony
• championing the development of new Guildhall School postgraduate courses in conducting and choral training
• supporting the role of singing with LSO Choral Director Simon Halsey

For more details click here