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Peter Vrabel: I don't have to have new faces around me all the time.

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Most of the work of Peter Vrabel, a Slovak conductor living in Prague, is connected with the Berg Orchestra. This is why in our interview we concentrated on themes to do with this orchestra--its focus on programmes including both top international and Czech contemporary music, and its unconventionally conceived concerts.

What led you to found the Berg Orchestra?

Initially it was enthusiasm for the idea of presenting works by contemporary Czech composers not often performed here. In the early stage we had help from Vaclav Riedlbauch, a composer and later managing director of the Czech Philharmonic, who motivated us, suggested pieces we might play and introduced us to the circle of his colleagues--composers of the older generation such as Petr Eben, Svatopluk Havelka and others. Depending on the needs of each piece we would look for musicians for each concert--students from the Academy of Performing Arts and the Prague Conservatory.

What in your view have been the milestones in the fifteen-year history of Berg?

You speak of fifteen years, but I would rather talk about the ten years or so of real continuous work with the orchestra. And that it is why I would consider--as a milestone--the moment when we managed to create a first coherent season with a series of subscription concerts, when it all acquired a real shape. Until then we had just played from concert to concert, with our attention just fixed on the next concert, and so essentially it hadn't been a matter of any systematic work.

For me the Berg is distinctive for its imaginative repertoire concept. If the first stimulus was the desire to present contemporary Czech compositions that had not been played here, how did you arrive at a consistent idea of programming? What are your criteria for putting programmes together?

In the first seasons we combined classical with contemporary music; we played Haydn or Mozart symphonies and added contemporary composers. Gradually, however, the basic core of our repertoire shifted to 20th-century world music and pieces by young Czech composers. Today we occasionally include classical music in our programmes, and it always gives us pleasure when we play it. We have more than one criterion for concert programming. For example I find an interesting piece that I want us to perform, and then I usually look for something to provide contrast. The important thing for me is that neither I, nor the orchestra, nor the audience should get bored--hence the contrast. I avoid monotonous conceptions of concerts. One good approach is to have a theme that connects completely different things.

Which kind of contemporary music--composers, themes etc.--appeals to you most?

I don't have very fixed views in this context ... I like well-written music that you can do something with. I look for it myself, but I also get inspiration and tips from my friends who follow contemporary music.

When you do decide to perform some older music, do you base...

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