Simon Rattle ... the most famous British musician "seeks German citizenship"
The famous British orchestra conductor Simon Rattle, who is known to oppose his country's exit from the European Union (Brexit), has applied for German citizenship.
Rattle, 65, announced a few days ago that he would leave the music department of the London Orchestra, to head the orchestra of the Broadcasting Corporation in the German region of Bavaria, after two years.
The well-known musician revealed in a press conference, on Friday, that "his passport is on the way", referring to his application to Germany for citizenship.
The Liverpool-born conductor expressed his "regret" at the barriers erected by Britain's departure from the European Union, after young musicians who used to perform freely in front of music-hungry audiences across the continent.
He continued, commenting on his request for German citizenship: "Like many, this was an absolute necessity," according to statements published by the British newspaper "The Guardian".
Rattle gained additional fame when he led the London Orchestra at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in the British capital.
After leading the Berlin Musical Orchestra for 16 years, Rattle decided to return to Germany to be close to his family in the German capital, consisting of his wife, the Czech opera singer Magdalya Kuzina, and their three children, but he made clear his frustration with the British political orientation.
"The fact that musicians and artists in general are suddenly forced to get visas to Europe is not at all the Brexit bonus that we were talking about. We will have to face it," he said.
The European musician was one of the two signatories of a letter rejecting "Brexit" in 2018, sent by representatives of the music sector to then Prime Minister Theresa May.
In a previous interview with "AFP" in 2020, Rattle described Britain's exit from the European Union as "a terrible mistake that could make Britain a cultural prison."
