He's here! Petr Popelka is the 17th chief conductor of the Wiener Symphoniker at the start of the season. He is taking special programmes with him for his first concerts. 

„Gurre-Lieder“ at the Musikverein

111 years ago, the Wiener Symphoniker premiered Arnold Schönberg's Gurre-Lieder at the Musikverein Wien, and now Popelka is conducting the mammoth work with the choir of the premiere at the venue of the premiere. A major musical event that unites both the Schönberg anniversary and the 125th anniversary season of the Wiener Symphoniker - and a more than worthy first programme for the new chief conductor at the Musikverein.

Personal programme at the Wiener Konzerthaus

Petr Popelka has put together his own personal programme for his inaugural concert at the Wiener Konzerthaus: Firstly, he has chosen Bela Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. ‘When I open a score by Bartók, it's always a source of inspiration for me,’ says Popelka about his idol. Also his choice: the exceptional Russian pianist Anna Vinnitskaya, who will play Pyotr Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto. An inaugural concert that is particularly close to the heart of the chief conductor and the orchestra.

Visions for his orchestra

"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", Popelka says about his orchestra, for which he also has visions. "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?" The Wiener Symphoniker are also very much looking forward to the intensive collaboration with the special musician and man Petr Popelka.