Currently head of the Berlin Philharmonic, Rattle will take up the reins in 2017.

The London Symphony Orchestra has announced that Sir Simon Rattle will be its next Music Director. Rattle will take up his post in September 2017 and fill the breach left by the current Principal Conductor Valery Gergiev who departs at the end of 2015.

“During my work with the LSO over the last years, I noticed that despite the Orchestra’s long and illustrious history, they almost never refer to it,” Sir Simon said on the announcement of his appointment. “Instead, refreshingly, they talk about the future, what can they make anew, what can they improve, how can they reach further into the community. In terms of musical excellence, it is clear that the sky’s the limit, but equally important, in terms of philosophy, they constantly strive to be a twenty-first century orchestra. We share a dream in which performing, teaching and learning are indivisible, with wider dissemination of our art at its centre. I cannot imagine a better or more inspiring way to spend my next years, and feel immensely fortunate to have the LSO as my musical family and co-conspirators.”

The appointment of Sir Simon,...