Obituary: Met Opera Assistant General Manager Robert Rattray Passes At 67

By David Salazar

Met Assistant General Manager Robert Rattray has passed away at the age of 67.

Per sources, he suffered a stroke on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018.

He was appointed to the position in 2014, replacing Sarah Billinghurst. Prior to that appointment, he had already accumulated over 40 years of experience in the world of classical music management. He had been Joint Chief Executive at Askonas Holt between 1998 and 2013 and had been with the organization as early as 1977 when it was known as Ibbs and Tillett.

As Assistant General Manager of the Met, Rattray was in charge of artistic operations and oversaw the forward planning, scheduling, and casting of more than 200 opera performances each season.

The Met’s General Manager Peter Gelb posted a personal message regarding his loss on the Met Opera’s official Facebook page.

“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,” said Gelb. “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.”

Gelb also noted at Rattray was set to retire from the Met within the next two seasons.

Categories

News