Svatopluk Havelka

Svatopluk Havelka was born on 2nd May, 1925 in Vrbice in Silesia. He finished his grammar school studies in Valašské Meziříčí in 1944. In 1949 he graduated from the Faculty of Philospohy and Arts at Charles University in Prague, where he had studied musicology under the tuition of Antonín Sychra. Simultaneously, he took private composition lessons with K. B. Jirák.

For a short time he worked as music director and editor for Czech Radio in Ostrava. Afterwards, he cooperated with AUS (Army Art Ensemble), and since 1954 he has concentrated solely on his compositional career.

In the year 1990 he was appointed Professor of Composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, where he worked until 2002. His 1st symphony (1955–1956) marked a significant turning point in his career. This composition became a clear signal that a symphonist had been born whose ability to create large musical structures in a stylistically original setting was unquestionable.

Havelka’s music has been drawing attention of the broader public ever since. Each new piece has its own individual form and brings novel compositional solutions. Also his cantata Chvála světla (Eulogy of Light) for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra belongs among works of similar artistic force.

Havelka’s output within the genres of film and incidental music is numerous as well, consisting of dozens of scores both for full-length and short films. His frequent cooperation with filmmakers led to several notable awards that Havelka received for his music for Vojtěch Jasný’s films “Až přijde kocour” (“When the Tomcat Comes”) and “Všichni dobří rodáci” (“All the Good Countrymen”), and for the film adaptation of the fairy-tale “Princ a večernice” (“The Prince and the Evening Star”). For his 1st symphony he was awarded a silver medal at the World Festival of the Youth and Students.

Titles for sale:
Agapé
Hymnos
Parénéze
Symphony No. 1
The Signs of Times

Titles for hire - see Complete catalogue