Overview
- The appointment was made public after a Monday evening concert at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
- Noémi Makkos of the orchestra board presented the certificate in the presence of Generalmusikdirektor Christian Thielemann, Berlin culture senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson, and intendant Elisabeth Sobotka.
- Rattle joins a roster of distinguished honorary conductors that includes Pierre Boulez, Zubin Mehta, and Otmar Suitner, alongside honorary chief conductor Daniel Barenboim.
- The recognition follows the completion of a 15-year Janáček cycle, concluded with a new production of Das schlaue Füchslein.
- Rattle, 71, previously led the Berlin Philharmonic and the London Symphony Orchestra and currently heads the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.