Francisco Kraus Trujillo facts for kids

Francisco Kraus Trujillo (born October 21, 1926 – died February 27, 2016) was a Spanish baritone singer.

He was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which is in the Canary Islands, Spain. His father, Otto Kraus, was from Austria. Francisco was the first child in his family, followed by his siblings Alfredo, Enriqueta Lola, and Carmen. His brother Alfredo also became a very famous singer.

Learning to Sing

Francisco and his brother Alfredo started their singing lessons with María Suárez Fiol. She was a great teacher who even organized small concerts at her home for her students to perform.

Francisco first sang in the Choir of the School of the Heart of Maria. Later, he auditioned for solo parts in the Philharmonic Society of Las Palmas. After returning from Barcelona, Francisco married his fiancé, Enedina Kraus. He then went to Milan, Italy, to study voice technique with the famous teacher and soprano, Mercedes Llopart.

Mercedes Llopart taught many well-known singers, including Alfredo Kraus, Renata Scotto, and Anna Moffo. Francisco's baritone voice had a wide range, meaning he could sing both high and low notes with power and richness.

His Singing Career

In December 1960, Francisco made his first big performance in Trieste, Italy, at the “Teatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi”. He sang the role of Shaklovity in the opera Khovanshchina. For this performance, he used the stage name Franco di Marco.

After that, he sang in other famous operas like Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Valentin in Faust, and Germont in La Traviata. He then came back to Spain and performed in La Coruña. He also made his debut at the “Teatro de la Zarzuela” in Madrid with the Compañía Lírica Nacional, which was very successful. He toured Spain with this same company.

In 1962, Francisco started his own singing company. For four years, he toured Spain, performing zarzuelas. Zarzuela is a type of Spanish musical play that includes singing and speaking. Some of the zarzuelas he performed were La Bruja, La Tabernera del Puerto, and Katiuska. He performed with other artists like Amparo Azcón and Enrique del Portal. In June 1963, he performed the opera Marina in Madrid with his brother Alfredo.

In 1966, he went to Venezuela to perform at the National Theater of Caracas. After a long season there, he returned to the Canary Islands to spend more time with his family. He didn't stop singing completely, though. In the 1970s, he performed in many zarzuela seasons across Spain and the Spanish Islands.

Teaching in Venezuela

At the end of 1978, Francisco Kraus returned to Venezuela for more concerts and performances on radio and television. He performed the opera Marina in Teatro Municipal de Caracas with his brother Alfredo Kraus and other singers.

This time, he stayed in Venezuela for nine years. Besides performing, he became a professor of vocal technique. He taught at the Superior School of Music of Caracas, called Escuela Superior de Musica J.A. Lamas, and also at the Escuela de Música Prudencio Esaá. He was a very active teacher, and some of his students included Fanny Arjona and Biella Da Costa.

In 1987, he moved back to Spain to teach voice technique at the Conservatory of the “Gran Teatre del Liceu” in Barcelona. He taught there until he retired.

Retirement and Tributes

Francisco Kraus's last public performance was in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1996. There, he received the Gold Medal of the City, a special award. In July 2000, Francisco and his wife Enedina decided to live permanently in his hometown. In November 2000, the "Friends of the Zarzuela" from the Canary Islands honored him with a plaque to recognize his long and successful career.

Recordings

• La tempestad (1958)
• Marina (1963)
• Video: Marina (1974) – performed in Teatro Municipal de Caracas.

“Selección de Zarzuelas” (Selection of Zarzuelas):

• El Cantar del Arriero
• La Calesera
• El Caserío
• El Huésped del Sevillano
• La Parranda
• La Canción del olvido
• Molinos de viento
• Los Gavilanes
• La del Soto del Parral (1973)
• TV film: German TV ZDF Reiselust. “Gran Canaria”

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Kraus Trujillo para niños