Petr Popelka
{{Short description|Czech conductor and composer (born 1986)}}
Petr Popelka (born 1986) is a Czech conductor and composer.
Biography
Popelka was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia. he studied music and played the double bass at the Prague Conservatory. He continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, where his teachers included Božo Paradžik. At age 19, Popelka became a member of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and in 2009 joined the academy of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. From 2010 to 2019, Popelka was deputy principal double bassist of the Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden. Popelka was composer-in-residence at the PODIUM festival in Mödling in 2015.
During his orchestral tenure in Dresden, Popelka developed an increased interest in conducting.{{cite news | url=https://socr.rozhlas.cz/petr-popelka-pral-bych-si-aby-byl-socr-svetovym-telesem-s-repertoarem-od-stare-8778019 | title=Petr Popelka: Přál bych si, aby byl SOČR světovým tělesem s repertoárem od staré hudby po současnou | work=Czech Radio (Český rozhlas) | author=Petr Veber | date=2022-06-29 | access-date=2023-12-18}} His conducting mentors have included Vladimir Kiradjiev, Péter Eötvös, Alan Gilbert, Jaap van Zweden and Johannes Schlaefli. He was a recipient of the Neeme Järvi Prize in 2017. In the 2019–2020 season, he was the first conducting fellow at the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra. From 2020{{cite news | url=https://www.nrk.no/kork/petr-popelka-blir-ny-sjefdirigent-i-kork-1.14788028 | title=Blir ny sjefdirigent i KORK | work=Norwegian Radio | author=Jan Fredrik Heyerdahl | date=2019-11-20 | access-date=2023-12-18}} to 2023,{{cite press release | title=KORK-dirigent Petr Popelka til Wiener Symphoniker | url=https://www.nrk.no/kultur/kork-dirigent-petr-popelka-til-wiener-symphoniker-1.16439992 | publisher=Norwegian Radio (NRK) | date=9 June 2023 | access-date=2023-12-18}} Popelka was chief conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, his first chief conductorship. He has served as principal guest conductor of the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava.
Popelka became chief conductor and artistic director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra as of the 2022–2023 season.{{cite press release | url=https://prso.czechradio.eu/petr-popelka-become-new-chief-conductor-prague-radio-symphony-orchestra-8498364 | title=Petr Popelka to become the new Chief Conductor of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra | publisher=Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra | date=26 May 2021 | access-date=2023-12-18}}{{cite news | url=https://english.radio.cz/it-something-special-new-radio-orchestra-chief-returns-where-it-all-began-8751635 | title="It is something special" – New Radio Orchestra chief returns to where it all began | work=Radio Prague International | author=Ruth Fraňková | date=2022-05-27 | access-date=2023-12-18}} He first guest-conducted the Vienna Symphony in May 2022. In June 2023, the Vienna Symphony announced the appointment of Popelka as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of five seasons.{{cite press release | title=Petr Popelka wird neuer Chefdirigent ab der Saison 2024/25 | url=https://www.wienersymphoniker.at/de/news/2023/6/petr-popelka-wird-neuer-chefdirigent | publisher=Vienna Symphony | date=9 June 2023 | access-date=2023-12-18}}
Selected compositions
- Labyrinth des Herzens (2015)
- Szenen für Klavierquartett (2015){{cite web | url=https://bachtrack.com/review-stratos-quartett-vienna-april-2015 | title=Stratos Quartett brings youthful, polished vigor to the Gläserner Saal in Vienna | work=Bachtrack | author=Chanda VanderHart | date=2015-05-01 | access-date=2023-12-18}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.petrpopelka.com/ Official website of Petr Popelka]
- [https://intermusica.com/artist/Petr-Popelka Intermusica agency page on Petr Popelka]
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{{succession box | title=Principal Conductor, Norwegian Radio Orchestra | before=Miguel Harth-Bedoya | years=2020–2023 | after=Holly Hyun Choe (designate, effective 2026)}}
{{succession box | title=Chief Conductor, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra | before=Alexander Liebreich | years=2022–present | after=incumbent}}
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Category:Musicians from Prague
Category:Czech classical composers
Category:Czech male conductors (music)