Trágico fallecimiento de un directivo del Metropolitan de Nueva York, Robert Rattray
Reproducimos a continuación -en inglés- el comunicado facilitado por el Director General del Metropolitan de Nueva York, Peter Gelb, lamentando el trágico fallecimeinto de uno de sus directivos, Robert Rattray, apreciado por muchos artistas. Rattray fue víctima de un derrame cerebral y las secuelas del mismo han terminado con su vida tras ser hospitalizado:
Today we mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, Robert Rattray. A message from Peter Gelb, General Manager follows:
We send our condolences to the family, friends, and the global artistic community who admired and loved Robert Rattray, the Met’s Assistant General Manager responsible for Artistic Administration. Robert suffered a stroke on Sunday, while enjoying a day off at home, and died earlier today. He was 67 years old.
Robert joined the Met in 2014 after an illustrious career in artists management in the UK. As Joint Chief Executive of Askonas Holt, one of the leading classical music agencies, from 1998 until his retirement from the firm in 2013, Robert was one of the top agents in the field, managing the careers of some of opera’s most illustrious talents. Amongst the legendary artists who Robert worked with are Janet Baker, Anthony Rolfe Johnson, Felicity Lott, Charles MacKerras, Thomas Ades, Simon Keenlyside, and Ian Bostridge. In collaboration with his fellow Joint Chief Executive, Martin Campbell White, Robert also was involved in the management of some of the most important conducting careers of recent times, including Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim, Bernard Haitink, and Yannick Nezet-Seguin.
Robert was born and raised in England, attending Eton prep school, St Edwards School, Oxford and Edinburgh University, before beginning his career as a trainee artist manager with the firm of Ibbs and Tillett in 1973. He joined the company that would become Askonas Holt in 1977.
As Assistant General Manager of the Met, Robert oversaw artistic operations. Working together with Artistic Administrator Jonathan Friend, Robert was responsible for the forward planning, scheduling, and casting of more than 200 opera performances each season, involving thousands of performing artists.
Robert had planned on retiring from the Met within the next two seasons to return to England to be with his family and to help look after his beloved parents, Noelle and Robin, who are both in their 90’s.
We will honor Robert’s memory by dedicating the opening performance of Parsifal on February 5th to his memory. We will also be planning a celebratory event in his honor for later in the season.
Peter Gelb, General Manager
