Daniel Hůlka (born 1 June 1968) is a Czech actor and

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

who is known for his performances in

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

, film, and opera. He has won both the

Český slavík Český slavík () is an award meant to recognize outstanding achievement and annual popularity in the Czech music industry. It was established in 1996 as the successor to the Zlatý slavík awards, which were established in 1962 in Czechoslova ...

and the

Anděl Award Andel or Anděl may refer to: * Andel, Netherlands, a village in the municipality of Altena * Angel Award (Czech music) (Czech: ''cena Anděl'') * Anděl (neighborhood), a part of the Czech capital Prague * Anděl (Prague Metro), a metro station in ...

multiple times and has released several recordings on

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

Life and career

Music and film

Born in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Hůlka took the flute, clarinet, and piano in grade school and played volleyball in high school, while also singing and playing guitar in a band with friends. He went on to study at the

Prague Conservatory The Prague Conservatory () is a public music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, the school offers four- or six-year courses, which can be compared to the level of a high school diploma in other countries. Graduates c ...

and then briefly at the Academy of Performing Arts in the class of Magdalena Hajossyova, before embarking on an opera career in the early 1990s. He first drew wide acclaim portraying the title role in Karel Svoboda's 1995 musical ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

''. He has since appeared in numerous musical productions in Prague, portraying such roles as

Javert Javert (), no first name given in the source novel, is a fictional character and a main antagonist of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel ''Les Misérables.'' He was presumably born in 1780 and died on June 7, 1832. First a prison guard, and then a police i ...

Claude-Michel Schönberg Claude-Michel Schönberg (born 6 July 1944, in Vannes) is a French record producer, actor, singer, songwriter, and musical theatre composer, best known for his collaborations with lyricist Alain Boublil. Major works include '' La Révolution Fr ...

's ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'' and the title role in

Frank Wildhorn Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde (musical), Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for ...

's '' Jekyll & Hyde'', among others. As an opera singer, Hůlka has performed leading roles at the

Estates Theatre The Estates Theatre (in Czech: ''Stavovské divadlo'') is a historic theatre in Prague, Czech Republic. The Estates Theatre was annexed to the National Theatre in 1948 and currently draws on three artistic ensembles, opera, ballet, and drama, w ...

; the Hudební divadlo Karlín, where he also sang under the direction of internationally acclaimed conductor

Alexander Frey Alexander Frey, KM, KStJ, is an American symphony orchestra conductor, virtuoso organist, pianist, harpsichordist and composer. Frey is in great demand as one of the world's most versatile conductors, and enjoys success in the concert hall an ...

; the J. K. Tyl Theatre; the Liberec Theatre; the Městské divadlo Ústí nad Labem; and the

Prague National Theatre The National Theatre () is a historic opera house in Prague, Czech Republic. It is known as the alma mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art. The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural ...

, among others. Some of the roles he has portrayed on stage include Escamilio in

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', w ...

's ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

'', Kalina in

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

's '' The Secret'', Silvio in

Ruggero Leoncavallo Ruggero (or Ruggiero) Leoncavallo (23 April 18579 August 1919) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Throughout his career, Leoncavallo produced numerous operas and songs but it is his 1892 opera ''Pagliacci'' that remained his lasting co ...

's ''

Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...

'', and the title roles in

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'' and Mozart's ''

The Marriage of Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienn ...

''. In 1997, Hůlka released his debut solo album, ''Daniel Hůlka''. In 1999, he made his first film appearance in the movie ''

Z pekla štěstí Z, or z, is the twenty-sixth and last Letter (alphabet), letter of the Latin alphabet. It is used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, in the alphabets of other Western European languages, and in others worldwide. Its usual names ...

'' by

Zdeněk Troška Zdeněk Troška (born 18 May 1953) is a Czech film director and screenwriter. He mainly directs comedies and fairy-tale films. Personal life Troška is deeply connected with the South Bohemian Region. He was born in the hospital in Strakonice, bu ...

. In December of the same year, he travelled as a member of a delegation to hand over a Christmas tree to the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

in the Vatican, and on this occasion, he sang in St. Peter's Square. In 2001, he appeared in '' Z pekla štěstí 2'', the sequel to the 1999 film.

Political activity

In the

2013 Czech legislative election Early parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic on 25 and 26 October 2013, seven months before the constitutional expiry of the elected parliament's four-year legislative term. The government elected in May 2010 led by Prime Mini ...

, Hůlka ran as the leader of the

Party of Civic Rights The Party of Civic Rights (, SPO), also referred to as Zemanovci (''"Zemanites"''), was a centre-left, left-wing populist social-democratic political party in the Czech Republic founded in October 2009 by Miloš Zeman, the former prime minister of ...

in the

Hradec Králové Region Hradec Králové Region (, ) is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic located in the north-eastern part of the historical region of Bohemia. It is named after its capital Hradec Králové. The region neighbours the Pardubice Region in t ...

, but didn't win a seat. He was previously an admirer of

Miloš Zeman Miloš Zeman (; born 28 September 1944) is a Czech politician who served as the third president of the Czech Republic from 2013 to 2023. He also previously served as the prime minister of the Czech Republic from 1998 to 2002. As leader of the Cze ...

, supporting him in both presidential elections. However, in an open letter dated 12 October 2020, Hůlka reconsidered his position and ended his friendship with Zeman. He also announced that on Czech National Day, 28 October 2020, he would return the Medal of Merit that he had received from the president in 2016.

Selected discography

* ''Daniel Hůlka'' (1997) * ''Mise'' (1998) * ''Živé Obrazy'' (1999) * ''Rozhovor'' (2000) * ''Gold'' (2001) * ''Bravo, Pane Hrabě'' (2001) * ''Ještě Jednu Árii, Pane Hrabě!'' (2002) * ''Dílem Já'' (2004)

Filmography

Awards and recognition

* First place (1998) * Second place (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001) * Third place (2002)

* First place, Best Singer (1997) * Third place, Best Singer (1998, 1999) Others * TÝTÝ Poll – Second place (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000) * Zlatý Otto – Gold (1997); Silver (1998); Bronze (1999) * National Medal of Merit (2016) –

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hulka, Daniel 1968 births Living people Czech male film actors Czech opera singers Czech male stage actors Czech operatic baritones Prague Conservatory alumni Czech baritones Czech pop singers Czech flautists Czech clarinetists Czech pianists Czech guitarists Male actors from Prague Singers from Prague Recipients of Medal of Merit (Czech Republic) Academy of Performing Arts in Prague alumni