Greta Kraus

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Greta Kraus (born August 3, 1907 in Vienna , † May 30, 1998 in Toronto ) was a Canadian pianist, harpsichordist and music teacher of Austrian origin.

From 1923 Kraus attended the Vienna Music Academy , where she received a diploma as a music teacher in 1930. She studied piano and music history with Hans Wisse (1924–31) and music analysis with Heinrich Schenker (1931–34), to whose book Five Graphic Music Analyzes she contributed a part to Fryderyk Chopin's Etude in F major .

In 1935 she made her debut as a harpsichord soloist in the Vienna Bach Society. In the following year she participated in a performance of Bach's Musical Offering in a version for eight instruments under the direction of Hermann Scherchen . In 1937 she performed in London with the Boyd Neel Orchestra and the BBC . In 1938 she went to Canada and began teaching at Havergal College in Toronto in 1939 .

She soon became known as a harpsichord soloist and chamber musician (including the duo partner of Arnold Walter ) and was a continuo player from 1942 to 1956 in performances of the Passions and the B minor Mass by Bach and the Messiah by Georg Friedrich Händel in of Massey Hall under the direction of Ernest MacMillan . In 1964 she was the companion of David and Igor Oistrach on their visit to Canada. Her repertoire also included harpsichord works by composers of the 20th century such as Francis Poulenc and Frank Martin .

In 1958 she founded the Toronto Baroque Ensemble with Elizabeth Benson Guy (soprano), Nicholas Fiore (flute), Donald Whitton (cello) and Corol McCartney (violin) . In 1965 she founded the Aitken-Kraus Duo with the flautist Robert Aitken , which was active until 1986. She accompanied Lois Marshall on the piano in 1979 in a performance of Franz Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin and in 1981 in a concert of songs by Hugo Wolff at Hartt House in Toronto.

From 1939 Kraus gave private piano lessons. She also taught lieder and chamber music, harpsichord, piano accompaniment and baroque performance practice from 1943 to 1969 at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and from 1963 at the University of Toronto . From 1963 to 1976 she was Ernesto Barbini's director of the Collegium Musicum ; She has also given master classes at the Banff Center for the Arts , the Shawnigan Summer School of the Arts and various universities. Her students included Douglas Bodle , Austin Clarkson , Elizabeth Keenan , R. Murray Schafer , Patrick Wedd and Valerie Weeks, as well as singers Russell Braun , Elizabeth Benson Guy , Ingemar Korjus , Andrew MacMillan , Mary Morrison , Gary Relyea , Roxolana Roslak and Teresa Stratas .

She was honored by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations in 1973 for her exceptional contribution to university teaching. In 1975 she was named Outstanding Woman of the Province ogf Ontario . She received the Toronto Arts Award in 1990, the Order of Toronto in 1991 and became a member of the Order of Canada in 1992 . In 2004, the Greta-Kraus-Weg was named after her in Vienna .

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personal data
SURNAME Kraus, Greta
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Canadian pianist, harpsichordist and music teacher
DATE OF BIRTH August 3, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH May 30, 1998
Place of death Toronto