Carnegie Hall’s
Opening Night Gala
Berliner Philharmoniker

Performers

• Berliner Philharmoniker
  Sir Simon Rattle, Music Director and Conductor
• Anne-Sophie Mutter, Violin

Program

• RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances
• BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1
• STRAVINSKY Closing Scenes from The Firebird

Event Duration

Bios

• Berliner Philharmoniker

  
  Founded in 1882 as a self-governing body, the Berliner Philharmoniker has long been esteemed as one of the world's greatest orchestras. In 2007, it celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding with a multitude of activities. The 2013-2014 season was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Berlin Philharmonie, which was designed for the orchestra by architect Hans Scharoun. Hans von Bülow, Arthur Nikisch, and Wilhelm Furtwängler were the principal conductors who left their distinctive mark during the Berliner Philharmoniker's early decades. In 1955, Herbert von Karajan became the orchestra's artistic director and, in the ensuing years, worked with the musicians to develop a unique tonal quality and performing style that made the Berliner Philharmoniker famous all over the world. Claudio Abbado, chief conductor from 1989 to 2002, introduced a new type of programming, with increased emphasis on contemporary works and expanded chamber recital series, as well as performances of operas in concert.
  
  When Sir Simon Rattle took the orchestra's helm in September 2002, he initiated the Education Program to ensure that the Berliner Philharmoniker reached a wider, younger audience. In November 2007, the orchestra and Mr. Rattle were appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, marking the first time an artistic ensemble had represented the international children's organization. The Berliner Philharmoniker Foundation is generously supported by its principal sponsor, Deutsche Bank. In January 2009, the orchestra launched its innovative Digital Concert Hall, which broadcasts the orchestra's concerts live worldwide over the internet. In May 2014, the Berliner Philharmoniker launched its own in-house label, Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.

  
  Sir Simon Rattle

  
  Born in Liverpool in 1955, Sir Simon Rattle has been chief conductor of the Berliner Philharmoniker and artistic director of the Berlin Philharmonie since September 2002. In 1980, following his studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, he was appointed principal conductor and artistic adviser of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. He became the orchestra's music director in 1990 and remained with the ensemble until 1998. He has been principal guest conductor of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment since 1992, and works with leading orchestras throughout Europe and the US that include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
  
  As a concert and opera conductor, Mr. Rattle's repertoire ranges from Baroque to contemporary music. Even before taking up his post as chief conductor, Mr. Rattle had worked regularly with the Berliner Philharmoniker for more than 15 years. His debut with the ensemble took place in 1987 with a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 6, and he has since made numerous award-winning recordings with the orchestra.
  
  One of Mr. Rattle's special passions is to bring the work and music of the Berliner Philharmoniker to young people from different social and cultural backgrounds. To this end, he created the Education Program, with which the orchestra has broken new ground in the field of music education. Knighted in 1994 by the Queen of England, Mr. Rattle has won many awards for his commitment to outreach as well as his artistic work. In 2009, he was awarded the Spanish Premio Don Juan de Borbón de la Música, the Gloria Artis gold medal from the Polish Ministry of Culture, and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In addition, he was awarded a knighthood in the French Legion of Honour in 2010, and in February 2013, he was earned the Léonie Sonning Music Prize from the Léonie Sonning Music Foundation in Copenhagen.

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• Anne-Sophie Mutter

  
  Anne-Sophie Mutter has been recognized as one of the world's greatest violinists for more than 35 years. A four-time Grammy  Award winner, Ms. Mutter has been a champion of contemporary music throughout her career, and her current tally of world premiere performances includes 22 compositions. She has had works composed for her by composers who include Sebastian Currier, Henri Dutilleux, Sofia Gubaidulina, Witold Lutosławski, Norbert Moret, Krzysztof Penderecki, André Previn, and Wolfgang Rihm.
  
  In the 2014-2015 season, Ms. Mutter curates a six-concert series at Carnegie Hall as a Perspectives artist; makes guest appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Berliner Philharmoniker, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and London Symphony Orchestra; and tours with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Nacional de España, New World Symphony, and Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra. In addition, she embarks on a six-city tour with the Mutter-Bronfman-Harrell Trio to Montreal, New York, Northridge (California), Santa Barbara, Costa Mesa, and Sonoma, and joins her string ensemble, the Mutter Virtuosi, on its first North American tour to Chicago, Toronto, Atlanta, Naples, Kansas City, and Washington, DC.
  
  Ms. Mutter has long used her public profile to support and promote charitable causes, notably those associated with the alleviation of medical and social problems. Her benefit concerts-which number 62 to date-have raised funds for a host of organizations worldwide. Ms. Mutter's many awards and honors reflect the nature of her humanitarian work as well as the excellence of her artistry. She received the prestigious Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 2008, the Legion of Honour in 2009 for services to contemporary French music, and the 2011 Erich-Fromm-Preis for the advancement of humanism through social engagement. Additional honors include the Merit Cross 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Mendelssohn and Brahms prizes, the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize, and the Bavarian Order of Merit. In 2013, Ms. Mutter was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as a Foreign Honorary Member.

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