Interesting Icelander for August 2025: Hulda Emilsdóttir
- Claudia Pétursson
- Aug 16
- 5 min read
By Claudia Pétursson
Claudia has enjoyed Hulda’s stories about her remarkable life and career for the past forty-two years, as she is married to Hulda’s son, Ingvar. The couple makes their home in Reykjavík, Iceland, and is currently on tour in North America with The Njál’s Saga Tapestry Project of Iceland.
For many in Iceland, Hulda Emilsdóttir (I202466) is a household name. And if her name is not recognized, her signature song certainly is. Try singing the line, “Halló, Halló, Halló” and chances are high that the Icelander you are singing to will answer, “Getur þú kómið í kvöld?” (Hello, hello, hello, will you come over this evening?) Hulda is also known for several other pearls of Icelandic radio, including Átthagatónar and Bergmál Hins Liðna.
Hulda was born in 1930 on the east coast of Iceland in Eskifjörður, the third of four children. Her family was always musical, with her father, civil servant Emil Björnsson (I202464), known for his fiddle playing and deep, rich voice, and her brother, Björn Emilsson (I202467), singing as a baritone soloist with the renowned Fóstbræður Men’s Chorus for over sixty years.
Hulda remembers singing by the age of three, with neighbors stopping her on the street in her small town and asking the young child to grace them with a song. When Hulda was twelve, her father had a guitar brought from Copenhagen for Hulda’s older sister, Bryndís, but Hulda instead picked it up and never stopped playing. After a move to Reykjavík in 1940 so that the children could continue their education, Hulda began singing and playing guitar in a trio with two school friends whom she had met at Verzlunarskóli, the commercial college of Iceland.
By their late teens, Hulda and her Verzlunarskóli school friend, Teddy Sigurðardóttir, were noticed by Danish/Icelandic music producer, Carl Bille. Mr. Bille recommended that they receive further musical experience and helped them to secure places in the National Playhouse Ensemble, both as singers and actresses. Hulda and Teddy appeared in many Icelandic productions, including “My Fair Lady” and “Carmina Burana.” The exposure led to years of performing in musical reviews all around the country. This was before many roads in Iceland were paved and Hulda recounts harrowing tales of traveling over the Kamber Pass on the Ring Road between Reykjavík and Selfoss in the most inhospitable weather. Hulda describes that revue producer, Haraldur Sigurðsson, appreciated the girls’ professionalism, saying, “You show up on time, are always prepared, and don’t smoke or drink!”
In 1952, Hulda married electrical engineer, Jóhann Pétursson, and they moved to Copenhagen while Jóhann studied for his master’s degree in electrical engineering at the Royal Danish Technical College. Their daughter, Birna, was born there. They later returned to Reykjavík, where their second child, Ingvar, was born.
By 1958, Hulda fronted the dance orchestra of Guðmundur Finnbjörnsson at the illustrious and popular, Thor’s Café, in downtown Reykjavík. She was also paired with Sigurður Ólafsson, the legendary Icelandic singer and songwriter, with the two of them performing their signature songs on the radio, including the legendary, “Halló.” Hulda enjoyed singing with the orchestra and on the radio until 1962, when she and her family decided to emigrate to Fort Worth, Texas, where Jóhann began working as an electrical engineer.
In Texas, Hulda joined the opera choruses of the Fort Worth Opera and later the Houston Grand Opera, where the family moved in 1964. Hulda enjoys recounting this story about the two opera directors: when Hulda informed the Forth Worth Opera that she would be relocating to Houston, the director called the Houston director and informed him, “You must have Hulda.” Hulda had the privilege of joining the Houston Grand Opera Chorus without even auditioning!
Surrounded by country music, Hulda fell in love with the genre. The style suited her rich, plaintive alto voice, and the storytelling nature of country music also echoed much of the style of Icelandic folk and popular music. She also enjoyed performing the repertoire of the Great American songbook. Her son, Ingvar, remembers her diligently practicing, learning to sing many new songs, even with a Texas twang.
After divorcing her husband in 1965, Hulda sang for many years at The Summit Club in Houston, an elegant supper club at the top of one of the city’s skyscrapers. In 1968, much to the joy of her many fans, Hulda recorded her signature album, “Hulda at the Summit.” This album, now available on Spotify and Apple Music, featured many of Hulda’s signature songs: Icelandic classics such as, “Á Sprengisandi” and “Geng ég fram á gnípur”, the lovely French, “La Vie en Rose”, and the Don Ho standard, “Tiny Bubbles.” On the album, Hulda showcases her versatility by singing in six languages: Icelandic, Norwegian, German, French, Spanish, and English!
Hulda retired from singing in the early 1980s, enjoying the arrival of her grandchildren, five in all (and nine great-grandchildren now!). She moved to Washington State to be near family and volunteered with the Seattle Opera Guild for ten years, sharing her love of opera with children in school enrichment programs. She also served on the board of the Nordic Heritage Museum and the Kirkland Performance Center.
Craving sunshine and golf, Hulda then relocated to Palm Desert, California, where she lived for 14 years. Never one to shrink from a challenge (remember her singing in public as a three-year-old!), Hulda took up watercolor painting, becoming so accomplished that she entered art shows, won ribbons, and taught weekly classes. She also learned to play the ukulele. As a member of her local ensemble, she enjoyed the camaraderie of the group and was considered a coach and a friend, supporting fellow members with her vast musical knowledge and experience.
In 2016, Hulda returned to Iceland after 54 years living in the United States. She enjoyed reconnecting with family and her singing pal, Teddy. Morgunblaðið, the main Icelandic newspaper, ran numerous stories about Hulda’s return, her ukulele playing with residents at her senior center, and even berry picking recommended by the first president of Iceland, Sveinn Björnsson, for whom Hulda was his secretary. This story led to an invitation to Bessastaðir, the Icelandic presidential residence. There, she enjoyed coffee with President Guðni Jóhannesson, a presidential scholar himself, who had questions for Hulda about her first-hand experience of working in the presidential office.
Since her return to Iceland, Hulda has been featured on the radio and television. She was interviewed for two shows, a radio showcase on RÚV about her time on Icelandic radio, and a television episode on the show Ísland í dag, where she enjoyed recounting her philosophy of life: to maximize one’s talents, have a sense of humor, and seize opportunity!
Now nearing 95, Hulda radiates the qualities of a star and of someone used to life in the spotlight. On a recent flight, as she glided into her Saga Class seat on Icelandair, the flight attendants were certain that someone special was in their midst. Her son, Ingvar, let them all know that this was Hulda, “You know, the one who sings, ‘Halló’.” They all crowded around her, oohing and aahing. Ingvar also let them know that they could follow her and listen to her music. A few weeks later, Hulda noticed that she had a whole new set of followers enjoying her songs, keeping her music alive into the next generation.
To listen to Hulda:
Sigfúsdóttir, Sylvía Rut. "Hulda er 91 árs og alltaf hress: Hver er galdurinn?" (24 Sep 2021) in Vísir [website]. Retrieved from https://www.visir.is/g/20212160236d/hulda-er-91-ars-og-alltaf-hress-hver-er-galdurinn-
"Hulda." (28 Mar 2024) in RÚV [audio recording]. Retrieved from https://www.ruv.is/utvarp/spila/hulda/36386/ar0411
Emilsdóttir, Hulda. Various Playlists [Spotify]. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LJkBoKiNJpcUiW3Z3NiGe
Emilsdóttir, Hulda. (n.d.). Playlists [YouTube channel]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUTKhPBQK8j2J6_Gi9YX9jQ
Emilsdóttir, Hulda. Various Playlists [Apple Music]. Retrieved from https://music.apple.com/us/search?term=hulda%20emilsd%C3%B3ttir
