Vadim Petrov is a renowned Czech pianist, composer and teacher, honored patriarch of Czech classical and popular music. Author of over a thousand pieces of music. Winner of the Golden Nymph Award for the best soundtrack for films and TV series.
Biography
“Music is a story about helping people,” says Vadim Petrov.
The future composer was born in May 1932 on the twenty-fourth in the Czech capital Prague. Vadim is a descendant of a whole galaxy of prominent figures of the Repnins-Repninsky family, which dates back to 842. The boy's father worked as a doctor, having his own practice in Zizkov, and his mother sang in the church choir.
The intelligent environment in the family had a huge impact on little Vadim. His training and upbringing were engaged not only by his parents, but also by his grandfather. Grandfather Vasily Petrov is a special figure in the fate of a great grandson.
Vadim's grandfather lived in Prague and was a respected person in the city, especially among Russian-speaking citizens, was a very important figure in the social and everyday life of the Russian community. He was an extremely religious person and was close friends with the local bishop Gorazd of Prague, as well as with the chaplain Vladimir Petrek, who was subsequently shot by the Nazis. Since childhood, Vadim took part in regular services with his grandfather. The upbringing also included a patriotic component, for which Vasily Petrov was also responsible.
After the usual school hours, the boy attended church, where his mother sang. At a very tender age, Vadim wrote "Bible Songs" for his mother, which was admired by the famous composer of that time, Joseph Boguslav Fester.
Another grandfather, mother's father Josef Thoma, was obsessed with Czech history. He often took his grandson with him on trips to magical places: Polubny, Zhelezny Brod, Turnov, telling about the history of these places. The grandson was overwhelmed with impressions after each trip and expressed his emotions in music.
For the summer, the Petrov family went to Staraya Boleslava, to their own estate. There, in 1945, the young talent began to learn from real masters, Troyan and Klazar, who taught him music theory and organ playing.
In the mid-forties, Vadim entered a Russian gymnasium, where he studied until 1951. He still fondly recalls this island of the "Russian soul" brought into exile by Russian emigrants. After graduating, Vadim continued his education at the Academy of Music. In 1956 he graduated with honors, and as an examination paper presented one of his brightest works "The Symphonic Poem of Vitkov".
Career
Two years after graduating from the academy, Petrov founded a folklore conservatory on the basis of the Prague Municipal House. The meaning of his project was to provide all kinds of support to young musicians who are beginning and planning to enter higher educational institutions. Soon, the enterprising composer gathered real professionals around him, and his unique project could well compete with the already existing traditional academies and gymnasiums with a solid history.
After the events of the "Prague Spring" in 1968, many restrictions were imposed on Petrov, because of which he was forced to leave the chair of the head of his own conservatory with a ban on appearances on television and radio. My wife was also fired from her job. Nevertheless, he was able to return to his former post already in 1976 and worked there until 1991.
From the very beginning, Petrov wanted to dedicate his brainchild, a magnificent educational institution with an amazing teaching staff, to Jaroslav Jezek, a Czech playwright and outstanding pianist. But it was possible to give the conservatory the name Jezhek only in 1990, when Vadim Petrov was finally able to get the consent of the heirs of the legendary musician.
During his restrictions, he rethought many of his early works, creating several symphonies that are famous all over the world. The documentary Prague Castle, filled with the music of Petrov, was banned, and later he transformed the melodies of the picture into a large-scale symphonic poem, which was included in the 2016 album Prague Ornaments.
The album "Tarantella", which was released in 2014, includes works, clearly saturated with Russian traditions, "Lyric Waltz", "Russian Gospel" and others. All Petrov's melodies are the clearest example of how you can express the kindest, most sincere and intimate with music, and he himself embodies the best features of the ancient Russian aristocracy.
Among the world's most famous works by the famous composer, it is worth highlighting the musical accompaniment for children's animation. He wrote music for the series about the mole and cricket, as well as for the animated films Causa Rabbit, Jane Eyre and Blue Planet.
In 2018, the musician visited Russia and performed in Moscow. The final composition of the concert was the famous song "Varyag", written by one of the ancestors of Vadim Petrov.
Personal life
The famous composer met the love of his life to Marta Votapkova in the fifties. At the same time, the phenomenally gifted young man was offered to study in Moscow. But Marta opposed this - the girl was afraid that separation would dampen feelings and she and Vadim would forget each other. The composer easily abandoned the bright prospects for the sake of his beloved, and in 1954 their wedding took place.
Over the long years of marriage, the Petrovs' husband and wife had three children: son Vadim and daughters Tatyana and Katerina. Vadim Petrov's granddaughter Linda Voitova became a famous model, she currently works in New York.
