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Published: Thursday, 16 January 2025 at 09:30 AM
Simon Rattle receives 2025 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
British-German conductor Sir Simon Rattle is to receive the 2025 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize ‘in recognition of his lifetime dedication to music’. Worth €250,000, the Prize will be presented at a special ceremony on 17 May 2025 in the Herkules hall of the Munich Residence, featuring an address by bass-baritone Sir Willard White.
Additionally, three 2025 Composer Prizes, each valued at €35,000, will go to Ashkan Behzadi (Iranian-Canadian), Bastien David (France) and Kristine Tjøgersen (Norway).
Sir Simon Rattle: a distinguished career
‘Sir Simon Rattle is one of the most significant and influential conductors of our time,’ writes the Board of Trustees of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation. ‘He is known for his exceptional interpretations, openness to diverse musical genres, and unparalleled dedication to educational work.’
During his long career, the Liverpool-born Rattle has led four major orchestras as principal conductor. As a young graduate of the Royal Academy of Music he took on the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He followed this with high-profile posts heading the Berlin Philharmonic (where he helped to establish the orchestra’s successful Digital Concert Hall) and London Symphony Orchestra, and is currently chief conductor of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Throughout the decades his commitment to 20th and 21st century repertoire has remained strong, as has his interest in education and accessibility.
What is the 2025 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize?
The private Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation (EvS Music Foundation), based in Switzerland, has awarded the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (EvS Music Prize) annually since 1973. Previous winners include Benjamin Britten, Olivier Messiaen, Mstislav Rostropovich, Herbert von Karajan, Pierre Boulez, Gidon Kremer, Yehudi Menuhin, Leonard Bernstein, György Ligeti, Sir Harrison Birtwistle, Daniel Barenboim, and last year’s recipient Unsuk Chin.
In 2025 the Foundation will award a total of €4m in project funding, and of this amount, the largest share of €3.3m will support contemporary music projects worldwide. For information on applying for EvS Music Foundation project funding, ensemble prizes and youth projects, visit https://evs-musikstiftung.ch/en/.