A colorful, melodic alto one never grows tired of listening to ? Total ease in switching from one language to another ? The art of conveying sharp contrasts of mood ? Indeed, Hana Hegerova has all of this - and more, in fact: namely, the intelligence of an architect set to build on her own, unaided by the obligatory team of constant advisors, a song, a repertory, a style. To seek and find a key each individual number, something which is bound to grasp the attention of an audience spanning the whole spectrum from the most ordinary listener to the super-intellectual. Since the 60's Hana Hegerova's inherited Slovak temperament has gone trough a process of cultivation in the atmosphere of Prague's fringe theatres focused on presenting the combination of music and poetry; and yet, she has managed to retain an elementary, quite un-demonic individuality of style, an almost obsessive urge for hard work (known to have accompanied her from the very outset of her career in theatre and film world), and an openness of heart leaving no room for half-way statements or inhibitions. The undwindling loyalty of her pubic embracing all generations of listeners, coupled with the truly undestanding reception with which she has been meeting even there where she cannot rely on her mother tongue - these, in Hana Hegerova's view, are the highest awards she can get for her art. One should not omit to mention, though, some of the more tangible expressions of recognition she has collected at various stages of her creative path:
- the Critics' Prize at Sopot, Poland 1962;
- L'Ordere pour le Merite de l'Education Artistique, Paris, 1974;
- Goldene Europa, Bonn, 1974;
- Die tz-Rose fur die Woche (July 15-22), Munich, 1983;
- Zlata nota, Prague, 1988;
- Gramy - Sin slavy, Prague, 1996.
- Medaile za zasluhy z rukou prezidenta Vaclava Havla, Prague, 2002
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