Editing Simon Rattle (section)

===Early life===
Simon Rattle was born in [[Liverpool]], England, the son of Pauline Lila Violet (née Greening) and Denis Guttridge Rattle, a lieutenant in the [[Royal Naval Reserve|Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve]] during [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite news | author=Nick Barratt | title=Family detective | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?xml=/education/2007/09/01/fafamdet101.xml | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=1 September 2007 | access-date=27 September 2007 | location=London | archive-date=11 September 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911073001/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/main.jhtml?xml=%2Feducation%2F2007%2F09%2F01%2Ffafamdet101.xml | url-status=live }}</ref> He was educated at [[Liverpool College]]. Although Rattle studied piano and violin, his early work with orchestras was as a percussionist for the Merseyside Youth Orchestra (now the [[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic#Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra|Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra]]). He entered the [[Royal Academy of Music]] (now part of the [[University of London]]) in 1971. There, his teachers included [[John Carewe]]. In 1974, his graduation year, Rattle won the John Player International Conducting Competition.

After organising and conducting a performance of [[Symphony No. 2 (Mahler)|Mahler's Second Symphony]] while he was still at the academy, he was talent-spotted by the music agent Martin Campbell-White, of [[Harold Holt (impresario)|Harold Holt Ltd]] (now Askonas Holt Ltd), who has since managed Rattle's career.<ref>{{cite web|title=Artist Details: Sir Simon Rattle |url=http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/green/green/home.nsf/ArtistDetails/Sir%20Simon%20Rattle |publisher=Askonas Holt |access-date=17 August 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070618074613/http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/green/green/home.nsf/ArtistDetails/Sir%20Simon%20Rattle |archive-date=18 June 2007 }}</ref> He spent the academic year 1980–81 at [[St Anne's College, Oxford]] studying English Language and Literature.<ref>{{cite news | author=Sholto Byrnes | title=Simon Rattle: Marching to a revolutionary beat | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/simon-rattle-marching-to-a-revolutionary-beat-410417.html | work=The Independent | date=4 August 2006 | access-date=6 August 2007 | location=London | archive-date=22 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022043034/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/simon-rattle-marching-to-a-revolutionary-beat-410417.html | url-status=live }}</ref> He had been attracted to the college by the reputation of Dorothy Bednarowska, [[Oxbridge Fellow|fellow]] and tutor in English.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Jay|first1=Elizabeth|title=Dorothy Bednarowska|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dorothy-bednarowska-124626.html|access-date=16 June 2017|work=The Independent|date=17 January 2003|archive-date=2 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702190534/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dorothy-bednarowska-124626.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was elected an Honorary Fellow of [[St Anne's College, Oxford|St Anne's]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite news | title=Muriel Spark and Simon Rattle in honorands list | url=http://163.1.0.45/gazette/1998-9/weekly/210199/news/story_3.htm | work=Oxford University Gazette | date=21 January 1999 | access-date=6 August 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701102506/http://163.1.0.45/gazette/1998-9/weekly/210199/news/story_3.htm | archive-date=1 July 2012 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> He was admitted to the degree of [[Doctor of Music]] [[honorary degree|''honoris causa'']] of the University of Oxford in 1999.<ref>{{cite news | title=Conferment of Honorary Degrees: Degree of Doctor of Music, Sir Simon Rattle, CBE | url=http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/1998-9/supps/1_4517.htm#7Ref | work=Oxford University Gazette (Encaenia 1999, Supplement (1) to Gazette No. 4517) | date=25 June 1999 | access-date=6 August 2007 | archive-date=18 March 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318190523/http://www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/1998-9/supps/1_4517.htm#7Ref | url-status=dead }}</ref>