Herbert Prikopa

Herbert "Happi" Prikopa (30 November 1935 – 8 December 2015) was an Austrian television presenter, conductor, operatic tenor, actor, composer, writer, pianist and cabaret artist.

Life and career

Born in Vienna, in 1935, at the age of 19, Prikopa became the youngest répétiteur at the Wiener Volksoper. After a singing engagement at the Wiener Kammeroper he became a member of Gerhard Bronner's "Namenloses Ensemble [de]" in the cabaret programm Brettl vorm Klavier. In 1957 a soloist contract was signed at the Volksoper instead of the répétiteur contract. From 1988 to 2009 Prikopa belonged to the radio cabaret team "The Guglhupf [de]". In the 1998/1999 to 2007/2008 seasons, Prikopa was musical director and conductor of the Johann Strauss Concert Gala in Vienna.[1]

Grave in the Viennese central cemetery

He was the presenter of the children's television programme Auch Spaß muss sein [de] on the ORF in the 1980s. Here he appeared as Herbert Happi Prikopa.

On 21 March 2005, Prikopa received the Berufstitel [de] professor.[2]

He died in Vienna on 8 December 2015 at age 80.[3]

Filmography

Radio plays

  • 1984: Otto Brusatti: Die letzten Stunden der Menschheit – director: Otto Brusatti (ORF/WDR)

Dissography (partial)

Some compositions

  • Classic Piano. 28 Kompositionen für Klavier
  • Visit to Chimera
  • Chimera
  • The Pillars of the world
  • Thinking Positively
  • Schrammel-Messe [de]

Works

  • 1994: Erich Kunz – Biographie des Sängers, together with Cornelia Szabó-Knotik, Löcker–Verlag Wien, ISBN 978-3854092391
  • 1998: 100 Jahre Volksoper – Die Geschichte eines notwendigen Theaters, Iberia-Verlag Vienna, ISBN 978-3-900436-67-4
  • 2003: Strauß-Führer durch Europa und die umliegenden Ortschaften, Iberia-Verlag Vienna, ISBN 978-3-85052-124-6

Awards

References

  1. ^ Johann Strauss Concert Gala in Vienna
  2. ^ "Ein Professorentitel nach "Auch Spaß muss sein"". Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  3. ^ knerger.de: Das Grab von Herbert ”Happi“ Prikopa
  4. ^ Eine fast perfekte Hochzeit