Biography alfredo kraus

He began his musical career with piano lessons at the age of four, and he sang in the school choir by age eight. His older brother, Francisco Kraus Trujilloa baritonestudied music and opera alongside him. Career [ edit ] After refining his technique singing Spanish zarzuela on stage in Madrid and BarcelonaKraus made his professional opera debut in Cairo during as the Duke in Rigolettowhich became one of his signature roles.

He made his American debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago inand his Metropolitan Opera debut in in Rigoletto, the role of his last performance there in He also performed in some very well known works, such as Don Giovanni and Faust. Alfredo voluntarily joined the school choir, received voice lessons privately and showed keen interest in opera and zarzuelas at the Las Palmas theatre.

Inhe started a three years electronic course at the biography alfredo kraus of Engineering. This fact drove Otto to ask his son to consider taking on serious singing at the completion of University. Alfredo agreed without hesitation, since he had already decided to embrace a singing career. Inthe twenty-one year old Alfredo left for Barcelona where he studied singing for two years under a Russian she-teacher, Gali Markoff, who applied a rigorous and scientific method to his natural but light weight voice.

For six months inafter two years of military service in Valencia, he was a pupil of an old singing teacher, Francisco Andres, who taught him a singing technique similar to that imparted by Mercedes Llopart, the great Spanish singer and teacher. He married her in Inhe took the road to Italy, considered the centre of melodrama for excellence. In Milan, he met with the celebrated Llopart.

Llopart would explain and sing with Alfredo, go through full operatic scores, including the recitatives, and stop at each note. Llopart impressed upon his pupil to refrain from singing in public while studying and exercising technique. Without technique, little can be communicated to the audience: how is it possible to produce mezze voci, filature, chiaro-scuri, and give stage expression to what one sings unless one uses technique?

Hence, Kraus studied Tosca and Manon Lescaut scores. The sound was beautiful but the voice became strained. But the highlight ofwas his singing the role in Lisbon, opposite Maria Callas. An occasion, he recalls, with gratitude and special satisfaction. To his surprise, she proved an outstandingly supportive and sympathetic colleague, whose stimulating presence was a contributing factor to his own success.

Kraus enrolled in the electrical engineering faculty and began studying to become an engineer.

Biography alfredo kraus

Their voices shook Alfredo to the core, and he firmly decided that one day he would step onto the stage and sing just as well. Kraus made his professional debut inin the opera "Rigoletto". After that, Alfredo performed in Lisbon, Chicago, Cairo, and all around the world.