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A TENOR: ALFREDO KRAUS
Alfredo Kraus was born in Las Palmas de
Gran Canaria on 24th November 1927. He started his singing studies with
María Suárez Fiol in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and afterwards
with Mrs Markoff in Barcelona, Maestro Andrés in Valencia and Mercedes
Llopart en Milan.
In January 1956 he made his world premiere at the Royal Theatre of El
Cairo with the performance of Rigoleto and Tosca, obtaining
a resounding success. That same year he also performed Traviata
in La Fenice and Turin, Rigoletto in Palermo and Sevilla, Falstaff
in Rome and La vida breve in Trieste. From that moment on the
performance of his Italian, French and Spanish repertoire turned him into
the best lyrical tenor in the world.
Kraus´ premiere in Spain took place with Massenet´s Manon.
Afterwards he performed Dña. Francisquita, the only zarzuela
included in his repertoire, giving him the highest popularity.
As the most representative titles of his
career repertoire we can underline the following: La Traviata,
I Puritani, La Favorita, Luccia di Lamermoor, Rigoletto,
Don Pasquale, La Sonnambula, Lucrezia Borgia, L´elisir
d´amore, Pecheurs de perles, Manon, Don Giovanni,
Les contes de Hoffmann, Lakmé, Ali Baba, El
barbero de Sevilla, Mephisto, Romeo et Juliette, La
fille du régiment, Werther, Faust, Marina,
Doña Francisquita, etc. He has also starring two films:
Gayarre and The vagabond and the star.
From 1990 till 1999 the International Singing Competition Alfredo Kraus
was held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, his home town.
During his last years he combined performing and teaching, giving masterful
lessons all over the world. He also directed the Cátedra de Canto
de la Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, which is called
after him since 1999. The Cátedra de Canto del Conservatorio Superior
de Música del Liceo de Barcelona and the Lecture room Alfredo Kraus
are called after him too.
1997 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria wished to pay a tribune to its Predilect
Son by giving his name to the first music coliseum of the town: the Auditorium
Alfredo Kraus.
Alfredo Kraus has been one of the most awarded interpreters of this century:
Awards received in Spain: Premio Nacional de Música de España,
Palma de Oro de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Cruz de Sant Jordi de la Generalitat
de Cataluña, 1ª Medalla del Instituto Vasco de las Artes y
las Letras, Gran Cruz de la Orden de Alfonso X El Sabio, Medalla de la
Gran Orden del Mérito Militar con distintivo blanco concedida por
SM el Rey Juan Carlos I, Encomienda de Isabel La Católica, Doctor
Honoris Causa by the University of La Laguna, Doctor Honoris Causa by
the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Medalla de Honor by the
Menéndez Pelayo University, Premio Canarias de las Bellas Artes
e Interpretación and Premio Príncipe de Asturias.
In France: Comendeur de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Medaille
de Beaux Arts, Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la Legion République
FranÇaise.
In Italy: Commendatore della Republica Italiana, Verdi d'Oro di
Parma, Medaglia d'Oro de Bellini di Catania, Palcoscenico d'Oro di Mantova
e Arena di Verona, Premio único Tito Schipa, Fiorino d'Oro della
Citá di Firenze, Premio Enrico Caruso y Sigillo Magnum dell' Universita
di Bologna.
In Austria: Kammersänger des österreichen Staates, Ehrenmitglied
der österreichen Staatsoper, Wissenschafts- und Kunstskreuz von Österreich.
In Portugal: Caballero da Orden de Santiago Da Espada.
