Symphony Concert N° 5

Celebrated for his captivating, authentic and inclusive approach to conducting, Petr Popelka has been appointed as the new Chief Conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra from the 2024/25 season. The Czech is also Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and was previously Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in Oslo. In the 2023/2024 season, Popelka will lead the Vienna Symphony Orchestra as Chief Conductor Designate in a new production of Weinberger's "Schwanda der Dudelsackpfeiffer" at the MusikTheater an der Wien and accompany the orchestra at several concerts in Vienna and on two European tours. He will also make his debut with Mozart's "Don Giovanni" at the Zurich Opera House and will work with the Gewandhausorchester, Munich Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre national de France and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse for the first time. He also returns to the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Orchestre Philharmonique du

Luxembourg, Danish National Symphony Orchestra and Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, among others. Previous debuts have taken him to the Czech Philharmonic, Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden, Bamberger Symphoniker, SWR Symphonieorchester, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, hr-Sinfonieorchester, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Mozarteumorchester Salzburg, Orchestra sinfonica nazionale della RAI and Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He also conducted the traditional ORF TV concerts "Springtime in Vienna" and the ZDF Advent concert in Dresden. His new productions of Shostakovich's "Nose" at the Semperoper and Strauss' "Elektra" at the Oslo Opera were acclaimed by the press and public. Petr Popelka received his musical training in his home town of Prague and in Freiburg. From 2010 to 2019, he was deputy principal double bass of the Staatskapelle Dresden. In addition to conducting, Petr Popelka is also active as a composer.

Known for his innate musicality and outstanding technique as well as a much-praised beautiful and richly coloured tone, Antoine Tamestit is rightly regarded one of the leading violists of the age. Whether as a solo performer, a passionate chamber musician or professor of viola, Tamestit’s many appearances around the world are always greeted with great enthusiasm. With his Stradivarius from 1672, on loan from the Habisreutinger Foundation, whose warm sound reminds him of »an Italian opera singer«, he is always seeking a fresh and original approach to music. Since 2007 he has regularly performed as one part of the Trio Zimmermann, which he founded together with fellow musicians Christian Poltéra and Frank Peter Zimmermann. In

2019 the latter invited him to join forces for Mozart’s Sinfonia concertante (KV 364) at a concert in the Semperoper, which also saw Tamestit making his debut with the Staatskapelle. 

Antoine Tamestit was born in Paris in 1979, the son of a violin teacher and composer. After studying under Jean Sulem, Jesse Levine and Tabea Zimmermann, he went on to win several prestigious prizes, including first prize at Germany’s ARD Music Competition. Harmonia Mundi have released several recordings of his large repertoire. His enthusiasm for contemporary music is evident in the large number of works that he has premiered.