Josef Popelka

Josef Popelka studied organ at the Kroměříž Conservatory with professor K. Pokora. Afterwards, he went on to study at the Music Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts with Dr. J. Reinberger, and – after his death – with prof. J. Hora.

Later on, he became the Candidate of Arts under the tutorship of prof. M. Šlechta. Besides that, he took part in several master courses, e.g. under prof. J. Reinberger in Prague, prof. J. E. Köhler in Weimar or prof. F. Peeters in Mechelen, Belgium. He was awarded many times in Czech competitions.

His most significant achievements include the 2nd prize and the laureate title at the 1979 Prague Spring International Organ Competition (the 1st prize was not awarded that year). His cooperation with the Czech Radio gave rise to a number of albums of mainly Czech baroque music with Josef Popelka as the organist. For the Panton publishing house he recorded Bach’s Musical Offering (this album was to be awarded the Panton Golden Shield). For Bonton he recorded Bach’s The Art of Fugue, and he also features in many albums of a number of recording companies as a partner of various instrumentalists.

At the present, he is a teacher at the Prague Conservatory and at the Academy of Performing Arts, and a regular member of competition juries. Since 2007 he has been cooperating with the Czech Radio Music Publishing House. He prepared four volumes of previously unpublished compositions by B. A. Wiedermann that came out in 2007 and 2010.

His repertoire includes compositions of all periods from the Renaissance up to the present.

Titles for sale:
Czech Organ Compositions I
Czech Organ Compositions II