Dresden, mid-2010s. A young musician from the Sächsische Staatskapelle, deputy principal double bass, is approaching his 30th birthday. He has already achieved a great deal, has played under the best conductors in the world and is completely satisfied. And yet, something won’t let him go: he would love to take some time out to pursue his other musical interests, which have fallen by the wayside in his fast-paced career as an orchestral musician. He asks for a sabbatical – and finally finds time to try his hand at composing and conducting.

The fact that Petr Popelka has found his destiny in conducting does not need to be emphasized further, even ten years later. His stellar career has made him one of the most important representatives of his generation. However, the young musician still retains his diverse musical interests. As chief conductor of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, he naturally cultivates the core symphonic repertoire. Still, he is just as happy to stray off the beaten track, bringing to the stage what touches him musically but is often overlooked in conventional concert life.

Popelka’s enthusiasm for the diversity of music led to the “Hör-Bar”, a joint project of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien. The project’s central aim is to break up the repertoire and procedures of the classical concert and create space for collective reflection on music in the evenings with a workshop character. The Gläserner Saal is transformed into a lounge, enabling an informal listening experience and eliminating the strict separation between the stage and auditorium. Depending on the piece, the musicians are positioned differently in the room, and the audience is grouped around them. They can – if they so wish – look over their shoulders.

Starting with the 2025/26 season, Popelka will focus on a wide variety of compositions in the “Hör-Bar” that are particularly close to his heart. He will not only give them a hearing, but will also present his personal view of them to the audience, explain them and place them in a larger musical context. In particular, he will focus on the music of the 20st and 21st century. But it wouldn’t be a program of Popelka’s taste if it didn’t include music by Gustav Mahler or Antonín Dvořák. In the “Hör-Bar”, he himself can be heard with the baton as well as on the piano and double bass – but in any case as an enthusiastic advocate of outstanding music that deserves to become known and familiar to a wider audience. During the breaks and afterwards, the musicians will mingle with the audience at the bar – Petr Popelka and his fellow musicians will clearly leave their tails at home.