Štefan Hoza

He was born 20th October 1906 in Smižany (Spišská Nová Ves), died 6th April 1982 in Bratislava (former Czechoslovakia). He was a Slovak singer (tenor), librettist, music publicist and historian, pedagogue and actor. The teacher was the original vocation. He graduated from the Academy of Music and Drama in Bratislava in 1932 and continued his studies in Prague (1932), Milan (1933) and Vienna (1936). He became one of the most active members of student life at Svoradov College. In 1932-1962 he was a member of the SND in Bratislava (1939-1947 opera dramatist, 1958-1962 opera director). Since 1952 he has been an external educator since 1962 at the State Conservatory in Bratislava. He has been on domestic and foreign opera stages (Zagreb, Vienna, Budapest, Dresden). He excelled especially in heroic tasks. He created the characters of Ondrej (Eugen Suchoň, Krútňava) and Juro Jánošík (Ján Cikker) in the premiers of these supports, to whom he also wrote the libretto. He was an interpreter, promoter and collector of folk songs. As a singer he collaborated on Plicka's film Earth Sings. At the beginning of 1977 he signed the so- Antichart, which many communist artists distanced from Charter 77 and its signatories.