At Colours of Ostrava, Václav Havelka will present a more intimate acoustic set, joined by his son Šimon, who has been collaborating with the Elpida choir for many years and takes part in the performance instrumentally. Havelka’s music is built on atmosphere, tension and a sensitive use of silence – and it is precisely this fragility that opens up space for the choir’s voice, adding a new dimension to the songs.
Václav Havelka and Elpida first came together more than fifteen years ago. Led by choirmaster Eliška Radikovská, the choir consists of twenty-five women aged 60+, who have been systematically challenging ideas of who belongs on a music stage since 2010. Collaborations with artists such as Never Sol, Please The Trees or rapper Rest show that Elpida is not merely a community project, but a confident partner in contemporary music. “Old’s cool,” as Elpida’s long-running campaign puts it. Their connection with Václav Havelka creates a truly unique concert moment, rooted in humanity, intergenerational dialogue and an energy that cannot be replicated anywhere else.