Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Petr Hapka Memorial Concert
Czech Radio Dvojka joined important Czech artists in paying tribute to the brilliant composer and singer Petr Hapka. The concert took place on Wednesday 17 April 2024 at the Congress Centre in Prague. Petr Hapka’s greatest hits were performed by the Czech music stars, accompanied by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Petr Malásek Band.
Pert Hapka would have celebrated his 80th birthday in May 2024. Czech Radio Dvojka decided to dedicate a concert to him and to commemorate the musical achievements of this exceptional figure in Czech music. Hapka’s famous hits were performed by Vojta Dyk, Aneta Langerová, Michal Malátný, Kateřina Marie Tichá, Michael Kocáb and Štěpán Kozub. Musical accompaniment was provided by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jan Kučera, as well as the Petr Malásek Band. The evening was hosted by Václav Kopta.
The songs and performers were selected by Petr Malásek, an expert on Hapek’s work, with two of Hapka’s children also participating in the concert. Haštal Hapka is the author of the arrangements of his father’s film music, performed by the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, while Petra Hapková performed as a singer.
The concert featured well-known hits such as Vana plná fialek, Nestůj a pojď, Rozeznávám, Hladiny and Štěstí je krásná věc. The commemorative evening also included a surprise – the song Bezejmenný mezi nezvěstnými (The Nameless among the Missing), produced by the songwriter Michal Horáček, a long-time friend and collaborator of Petr Hapka. “It was a difficult composition that was long in the making – so long, in fact, that Petr did not live to see its completion. Several versions of the song have been produced, one sung by Lucie Bílá and another by Szidi Tobias. From these two, I created a completely new composition in collaboration with pianist Patrik Ulrich,” explained Michal Horáček.
The concert was broadcast live by Czech Radio Dvojka and you can watch it online here
