Francisco Kraus Trujillo
Spanish baritone Francisco Kraus Trujillo was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 21 October 1926, the eldest child of Austrian-born Otto Kraus and a Spanish mother. He had a wide vocal range, and could sing up to a high B. His younger brother was the tenor Alfredo Kraus. Francisco and Alfredo studied initially with María Suárez Fiol, and later in Milan with soprano Mercedes Llopart.
Francisco Kraus made his debut in 1960 in Trieste, as Boyardo Chakloviti in Musorgsky's Khovantchina. He returned to Spain and spent four years singing Zarzuela.
He spent nine years in Venezuela (1978-1987), giving a series of concerts for radio and TV, and teaching vocal technique in Caracas. Then he continued to teach at the Gran Teatro del Liceu in Barcelona until he retired.
He returned to his hometown, and gave his last public performance there in 1996, and was awarded the city's gold medal.
He died on 27 February 2016, aged eighty-nine.