Biography
Victor Kraus was born in the early 80s and enjoyed a classical musical education.
The 90s saw techno music becoming a global phenomenon that also rocked the young musician in his youth. Higher musical studies at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe (Germany) with Isao Nakamura and at the Conservatoire de musique de Strasbourg (France) with Emmanuel Séjourné then opened up to him the world of the avant-garde. It seemed obvious that these different influences would one day be brought together.
Of major importance for the percussionist Victor Kraus, is his work on the interconnections of different musical styles as on artistic styles in general.
In this context a multitude of different projects were born: in the context of his percussion duo KrausFrink, the so-called "classical" recital brought Victor Kraus for example to the Konzerthaus Berlin, to the Cologne and Berlin Philharmonie, to numerous European festivals as well as to China. The duo's close cooperation with various composers culminated in the world premier of a double concerto by Philippe Manoury with the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie, Peter Rundel conducting and the Philharmonic Orchestra of Strasbourg with Marko Letonja conducting, a project supported by the music foundation Ernst von Siemens. In 2019 a second concerto written for the duo by the Luxembourgish composer Claude Lenners premiered in the Philharmonie Luxembourg with the “Orchestre de Chambre Luxembourg” (OCL) and Roland Kluttig conducting. But also the Hungarian composer Márton Illés already dedicates to them his work Torso VII in 2008. The german composer Gregor Schwellenbach, commissioned by the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), composed in 2016 soloist and orchestra versions of the semi-acoustic and semi-electronic pieces written by KrausFrink duo and KrausFrink & Conrad trio (Georg Conrad , musician and electronic producer living and working in Cologne).
In the same year in April, the three musicians presented their work as a trio, accompanied by the WDR Funkhausorchester under the direction of Adrien Perruchon. Many concerts in very different places have been done till then by this trio mixing acoustic music and electronic music: classical concert halls like clubs invite them. Some concerts have been broadcast live in the german radio (Bayerischer Rundfunk, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, West-Deutscher Rundfunk, Saarländicher Rundfunk).
In 2014 the production of the piece "Metathesis", musical theatre for percussion duet and dance duet, is a new stage in the course of V.Kraus. For the first time he takes, apart from execution, also the functions of conceptualization, of producing and coordinating the project.
V.Kraus has been engaged since 2009 as a teacher at the Conservatory of the City of Luxembourg. Since pedagogy is an important part of his perception of himself as a musician, his pedagogical projects extend beyond the weekly classes. Many of the conceptualizations have come to this day, including one of the most important ones, "Silent Movie 21" (improvisation and accompanying silent movie classes of one-week with public final performances for advanced students aged from 15 to 18 years) has taken place many times. Apart from the movie classes, V.Kraus with his percussion duo KrausFrink is an experienced silent movie accompanist. Many European festivals have invited the duo as composing and performing musicians.
After many compositions for his duet KrausFrink in the field of silent movies, improvisation, electro tracks as for the trio "KrausFrink & Conrad", 2016 is the year which immediately offers him two commissions of composition, one from the Strasbourg percussion trio "Baka Percussions" and the other from the "Competition of the Union Grand-Duc Adolphe for Young Soloists 2016 Luxembourg".
Victor Kraus is member in different musical groups: since 2017 he is member at the Luxembourgish group "ArsNovaLux" (a group with variable geometry), in 2018 he creates with the musicians Jeannot Sanavia (double bass), Sébastien Duguet (clarinet) and Danielle Gruselle (accordion) the band "NOMAD the GROUP", a band playing Klezmer, Balkan, Greek, Indian, Argentinian music, in short, rhythmical and energetic music. Victor Kraus is also asked for playing in the Luxembourgish chamber music ensemble "Kammerata" and the ensemble for contemporary music "Lucilin".
2018 the most famous Luxembourgish Jazz trio touring the world, “Dock In Absolute” asked him for a tour in Brazil. Since then Victor Kraus is the substitute drummer of this band.
His latest project, the "VICTOR KRAUS GROUP" represents a new step in his career; under this name Victor Kraus, taking the function of producer, coordinator and musical execution, creates different projects with different musicians. The emblematic piece Canto Ostinato written by the Dutch composer Simeon Ten Holt represents the basis for a first project under the name of the VICTOR KRAUS GROUP bringing together 6 to 7 illustrious musicians from the Luxembourgish music scene for creating a previously unreleased version from this piece, especially authorized by the publisher Donemus Amsterdam.
But also the project “Scandal”, working with the Luxembourgish flutist Aniela Stoffels and electro musician Georg Conrad producing, represents a new project for the “Victor Kraus Group”. A first single (“Confessions”) has been released in 2018.
Victor Kraus recorded in 2012 his first Album «Eat this» with his duo KrausFrink at the german label Perc.Pro.
2018 is the release year of the single "Confessions" with his project "Scandal" (Aniela Stoffels - flute, Georg Conrad -producer)
A second full Album "VOLT" is recorded with his band „NOMAD the GROUP“ and has his premier on 27th of February 2020 at the "De Gudde Wëllen" Club in Luxembourg-City.
In 2020 he records Georges Lentz's "Nguurraa" with the "Kammerata Luxembourg".