Markéta Irglová

Biography

Markéta Irglová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈmarkɛːta ˈɪrɡlovaː]) (born 28 February 1988) is a Czech and Icelandic singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. She starred in the 2007 film Once, which earned her a number of major awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly", with co-writer and co-star Glen Hansard. In 2005, she and Hansard formed the duo the Swell Season, which released three studio albums. She has also published four solo records.

The Swell Season

In 2005, Irglová and Glen Hansard formed the Swell Season. They released their eponymous debut album on Overcoat Recordings in 2006. In 2007, they co-starred in the indie film Once, for which they also composed the soundtrack. One of the songs, "Falling Slowly", received an Academy Award for Best Original Song, making Irglová the first Czech person to win that award and the youngest Oscar winner in a non-acting category.
The Swell Season released their second album, Strict Joy, in 2009, and two years later, they went on an extended hiatus. In 2011, a stage adaptation of Once was created by John Carney and Enda Walsh, incorporating Irglová and Hansard's songs. It went on to win eight Tony Awards and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
In 2022, the Swell Season reformed, and a year later, they embarked on their first world tour since 2011. In 2025, they issued their third studio album, Forward. In July 2026, Hansard died in a motorcycle crash, aged 56.

Solo work

In 2011, Irglová released her debut solo album, Anar. She followed it with Muna in 2014. In 2022, she issued Lila. That year, she was announced as one of the participants in Söngvakeppnin 2022, the Icelandic national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, where she competed with the song "Mögulegt" / "Possible".
In 2023, she was announced as one of five participants in Eurovision Song CZ 2023, Czechia's national final for the Eurovision Song Contest. She came in fourth place, with 1,009 points.
In 2024, she released the EP Where You Belong×Where You Belong27 March 2024 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Quintessence9:292Mother15:533Among the Living13:214Magdalena6:07.

Personal life

Irglová began taking piano lessons at age seven and started playing guitar when she was eight. Her parents organised a music festival in Czechia and hired the Frames, Glen Hansard's band, where she first met him, in 2001, at the age of 13. Hansard played a large part not only in her development as an artist and songwriter but also in launching her career. They began a romantic relationship during the filming of Once and separated in 2009. The aftermath of both Once and their relationship is the subject of the 2011 documentary film The Swell Season.
Irglová was married to Tim Iseler from 2011 to 2012.
In 2012, she moved to Reykjavík, Iceland, where she met music producer Sturla Míó Þórisson while recording Anar. They married in 2019 and have three children together. Irglová speaks fluent Icelandic and is a dual citizen of Czechia and Iceland.

with the Swell Season

The Swell Season (2006)
Once (soundtrack) (2007)
Strict Joy (2009)
Forward (2025)

Solo

Anar (2011)
Muna (2014)
Home Is Here film soundtrack, with Sturla Míó Þórisson (2016)
Lila (2022)
Where You Belong (EP, 2024)