Petr Popelka

Celebrated for his captivating, authentic, and inclusive approach to conducting, Petr Popelka has been Chief Conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker since the beginning of the 2024/25 season. He started his tenure with a performance of Arnold Schoenberg's monumental »Gurre-Lieder« in celebration of the composer's 150th birthday at Vienna's Musikverein, the venue of its world premiere. In addition to various appearances at the Vienna Konzerthaus and Musikverein, the season includes tours of Europe and Asia. Petr Popelka is also Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra.

Highlights of the 2024/25 season include Popelka's debuts with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Orchestre de Paris, and NHK Symphony Orchestra, as well as returns to the Staatskapelle Berlin, Staatskapelle Dresden, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Czech Philharmonic, Bamberg Symphony, Danish National Symphony Orchestra, and the symphony orchestras of hr, SWR, and WDR.

In addition to his symphonic work, Popelka is an acclaimed opera conductor. With the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, he will conclude a three-season project of concert performances of Wagner's »Tristan und Isolde«, before conducting the complete opera at the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Previous debuts have taken him to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI, and Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. He has also appeared at Zurich Opera House, Semperoper Dresden, Theater an der Wien, and the Oslo Opera House.

Petr Popelka received his musical education in his hometown Prague and Freiburg. After serving as Debuty Principal Double Bassist of the Staatskapelle Dresden from 2010 to 2019, he launched his conducting career in the 2019/20 season as the first Conductor Fellow of the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo (2020–2023). Alongside his conducting career, Popelka is also active as a composer.