Czech Musician Irena Havlová Dies
Why this is here: The musician’s passing was kept private for months at her request, revealing a dedication to quiet reflection mirrored in her collaborative work with her husband.
Irena Havlová, a Czech musician, died in October 2023, nearly one year after her husband, composer Vojtěch Havel. Her brother announced her death, respecting her wish for a private passing. Havlová was born May 26, 1959, in Rychnov nad Kněžnou.
She and her husband collaborated musically, forming a unified artistic entity. From the 1970s, they recorded albums blending European minimalism with baroque, classical, and Eastern traditions. They gained fans both in the Czech Republic and abroad.
The couple founded Capella Antiqua e Moderna in the early 1980s. They later drew inspiration from a trip to India in the 1990s, influencing their albums and films. Havlová received an Anděl Award for the album Four Hands in 2024 and a Czech Lion Award for the film Křižáček in 2017.