Ilja Hurník was born on November 25, 1922 in Ostrava, Moravia-Silesia, Czechoslovakia. He was a composer and writer, known for Touha Sherlocka Holmese (1971), Fantom opery (1987) and Písen z jizních Cech (1992). He was married to Jana Hurníková. He died on September 7, 2013 in Prague, Czech Republic.