Simon Rattle Extends Bavarian Radio Contract to 2033

Sir Simon Rattle has extended his contract as Chief Conductor of Bavarian Radio to 2033, the year he turns 77.

The announcement commits one of the most prominent British conductors of his generation to the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for years beyond his current term. Rattle confirmed the renewal himself, in a statement that set aside the usual ceremonial language of such announcements.

"There is an accepted language for contract renewal, but I find that I cannot bring myself to write it!" Rattle said. "For me, it´s simple: I love these musicians and I have never been happier."

Why did Rattle decide to stay?

The conductor pointed to the orchestra itself as the decisive factor. His statement frames the extension not as a career move but as a continuation of a working relationship he describes in unusually personal terms.

"I love these musicians and I have never been happier," he said — a sentence that carries the whole weight of the announcement.

Rattle also revealed a personal detail behind the decision: a video message he received from the veteran conductor Herbert Blomstedt on his 70th birthday. Blomstedt, himself still active on the podium at an advanced age, sent his wishes in a form Rattle describes as "touching."

"Herbert Blomstedt sent me a touching video message on my 70th birthday where he said that he hoped I lived to his age so I could have even more time conducting this magnificent orchestra," Rattle said. "It´s a little beyond the terms of this contract, or even normal human possibility, but as usual, he is totally emotionally correct!"

What does the extension mean for Munich?

The renewal keeps Rattle in Munich through 2033, when he will be 77 — an age by which most conductors have long scaled back their orchestral commitments. Blomstedt's example, cited by Rattle himself, suggests that the British conductor does not view 77 as an endpoint.

Rattle's own words point forward rather than backward. "I await these next years with impatience and joy," he said.

For Bavarian Radio, the extension secures the artistic leadership of a conductor who states his commitment in unambiguous terms: love for the musicians, and happiness in the work.

How many years beyond 2033 Rattle might remain on the Munich podium is a question even he declines to rule out — Blomstedt's birthday message, he notes, is "a little beyond the terms of this contract, or even normal human possibility."