Hana Hegerová (née Carmen Farkašová, born 20 October 1931 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia), is a leading Czechoslovakian singer, actress and uncrowned Queen of Czechoslovak chanson. Foreign critics call her "The Great Lady of Chanson", "The Piaf from Prague", and "The Chanteuse with a Slavic Soul". Having no comparable competition in Czechoslovakia, she gained popularity primarily as a singer of chanson. She has charmed her audience and critics with an extraordinary ability to interpret the lyrics dramatically. Outside of the Czechoslovakia, Hegerová has attained wide recognition, especially in German-speaking countries. She lives in Prague, Czech Republic.
From 1937 to 1942 Hegerová attended ballet school at the National Theater in Bratislava. After completing her primary education in Komárno in 1950, she worked as a clerk for Škoda Works and as a teacher at a vocational school. From 1951 to 1953, Hegerová attended professional theatrical courses at the State Theater Conservatory, then in 1957 joined the company of the Petr Jilemnický Theatre in Žilina.
