The Academy of Performing Arts was founded by a Presidential Decree of 27 October 1945, and opened to students the next year, in the winter semester of 1946.

Professors of the older Prague Conservatory also supported the idea of transforming the former maestro school into a university.

Writers, artists and other film-makers with practical experience in the film industry, including Jaroslav Bouček, Karel Plicka, Otakar Vávra, Ivan Olbracht, Vítězslav Nezval, and Antonin Brousil [cs], contributed to the school's future curriculum, designing it to reflect new trends in post-war film development.

The Lichtenštejn Palace, renovated in 1991, contains a grand concert hall dedicated to the Czech composer Bohuslav Martinů and the Inspirace theatre.

At the end of the 1960s, a number of the school's graduates emerged as part of the Czechoslovak New Wave movement, including Věra Chytilová, Miloš Forman, and Jiří Menzel.

Later graduates of the school to receive international acclaim included Agnieszka Holland, Emir Kusturica, and Jan Svěrák.

The school provides education in the fields of music and dance in Czech and English at Bachelor, Masters and doctoral levels.

HAMU is the organiser of the orchestral cycle "The Best" and the Skrznaskrz festival, which features collaborations between all three AMU faculties as well as other fine arts schools.

Students at the academy are only accepted after completing secondary school education and successfully passing entrance exams.

The official language of instruction of the course units is Czech, but each faculty offers some degree programs in English.

Students of the academy have free or discounted entry to some cultural events, such as theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions, lectures and films.

The academy has co-operative links with other schools in the Czech Republic and internationally, which include artistic competitions, festivals, and reciprocal exchange performances.

The academy's Language Centre provides classes in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Czech for students and employees.