September marks opening of busy 2024/25 season for Petr Popelka

Following a successful 2023/24 season, Petr Popelka begins his long-awaited inaugural year as Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker this month. Popelka describes his hopes for the organisation: “For me, the Wiener Symphoniker are the musical embodiment of Vienna, an orchestra that captures and expresses the spirit of the city, an ensemble with a long-standing tradition. When people ask me how I imagine my journey with the Wiener Symphoniker, I think of my young son: Which orchestra would we like to hand over to the next generation? How does a modern orchestra work, in which we play music on an equal footing? How can we nurture and strengthen the virtues of the Wiener Symphoniker together?”

His first concert at the Musikverein comprises Schoenberg’s monumental Gurre-Lieder, a piece close to Popelka’s heart, which has described as “the greatest gift” to conduct. What makes this concert extra special is that it takes place on the 150th anniversary of the composer at the world premiere venue.

The following week, he leads the orchestra in a programme at Vienna’s Konzerthaus. They will perform Bela Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. Popelka: “When I open a score by Bartók, it’s always a source of inspiration for me. The special thing is that he composes in a highly complex way, but appeals to everyone.” The programme is completed with Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, performed by exceptional Russian pianist Anna Vinnitskaya. This programme will then embark on a tour to Slovakia and Italy. Popelka and the Wiener Symphonia will tour Europe again later in the season, taking in Prague, Barcelona, Madrid, and Tenerife with a programme of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Strauss, and to Asia next year. In April they will also launch their new three-day Easter Festival “Primavera da Vienna” in Trieste, Italy.

Popelka retains his relationship as guest conductor with other top orchestras across Europe, and you can see him conduct televised concerts throughout the year. He will lead the Czech Philharmonic in their annual “Velvet Revolution” which celebrates Czech composers, joining forces with violinist Josef Špaček and violist Antoine Tamestit for a programme of Smetana, Suk, Martinů and Janáček. He will also join the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic for the Nobel Prize concert, held annually to honour the year’s Nobel Prize laureates. It is attended by members of the Swedish Royal family, Nobel Prize laureates and guests, and has become a highlight of the Nobel Prize calendar. Throughout the season, Popelka will return as a guest conductor to the Gewandhausorchester, Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberg Symphony, and many more. He will make his debut with NHK Symphonie Orchestra and Orchestre de Paris, as well as the Tonhalleorchester Zürich.

Another highlight of the season will be a run of Wagner’s epic music drama Tristan and Isolde with Deutsche Oper Berlin. Finally, Popelka returns to his homeland throughout the year to work with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and to fulfil his role as 2024/25 curator of the Czech Chamber Music Society, where he will appear as composer, double bass player and pianist.