Robert Rattray Named New Assistant General Manager, Artistic of Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera announced that Robert Rattray has been appointed the company's new Assistant General Manager, Artistic. He will begin his tenure this August, when rehearsals begin for the 2014-15 season. Rattray replaces Sarah Billinghurst, who will retire at the end of the current season after 20 years at the Met.

As the Met's top artistic administrator, working closely with General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, Rattray will be responsible for managing the forward planning, scheduling, and casting of more than 200 opera performances each season. He will oversee the Met's music and artistic staffs; the scheduling of rehearsals, performances, and auditions; liaising with artist managers, opera company executives, and other music organizations; as well as handling the thousands of performing artists who work with the company each season.

Rattray has more than 40 years of experience in classical music artist management, predominantly with Askonas Holt, where he most recently served as Joint Chief Executive from 1998 to 2013. He began his career as a trainee artist manager with the firm of Ibbs and Tillett and first joined the company that would become Askonas Holt in 1977. Rattray will continue to act as a consultant for Askonas Holt until July 2014.

"After more than four decades of working on the artist management side of classical music, I couldn't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Rattray. "I'm looking forward to making the Metropolitan Opera my new professional home."

"Robert's longtime experience in dealing with leading artistic personalities and the world's major opera houses made him the ideal candidate to replace Sarah Billinghurst, whose superb work for the Met will not be forgotten," said Gelb.

"After 20 years of wonderful collaboration with Sarah Billinghurst, I wish her all the best in her retirement, and I miss her already," said Levine. "At the same time I am looking forward with the greatest enthusiasm to working with Robert Rattray, and I know he will do a splendid job."

Donagh Collins, who recently took up the post of Chief Executive at Askonas Holt, taking over from Robert Rattray and Martin Campbell-White said, "On behalf of the board and staff at Askonas Holt, we are thrilled at Robert's announcement to join the Metropolitan Opera in this senior artistic position. Robert has unparalleled experience managing world-class singers, and he will without doubt be a wonderful asset at the Met. We wish him all the best in his new position."

The Met's 2014-15 season, announced last week, will feature 26 operas in 6 new productions and 18 revivals, including the company premieres of three works: John Adams's The Death of Klinghoffer, Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, and Rossini's La Donna del Lago. The season opens September 22 with a new production of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by James Levine and directed by Richard Eyre. For more information on the Met, please visit www.metopera.org.