Tony Kraus was educated at St Paul’s School and read Music at Bristol University, where he was also University Organ Scholar. Further studies followed at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he won the Ricordi Conducting Prize for his performances of Der Kaiser von Atlantis (Viktor Ullmann), and the National Opera Studio, supported by Welsh National Opera.
As a conductor, chorus master, coach and accompanist he has worked throughout the UK and Europe. He has worked for many British and European opera companies and music colleges, including English National Opera, English Touring Opera, The Grange Festival, Garsington Opera, Almeida Opera, Bampton Classical Opera, Royal College of Music, Royal Northern College of Music, Royal Scottish Conservatoire, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, London College of Music, Opéra National du Rhin (Strasbourg), Rossini Festival (Pesaro). He was Organist of St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge, and has also worked extensively with the Royal School of Church Music.
From 2003 until 2017 he was on the staff of Opera North, initially as Chorus Master, and subsequently as Acting Head of Music and Assistant Head of Music. While on the music staff there he conducted several productions, including The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, Madama Butterfly, Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, Cautionary Tales! (Errolyn Wallen), The Bartered Bride, L’enfant et les sortileges (Ravel), The Adventures of Pinocchio (Jonathan Dove), Carousel (Rogers and Hammerstein), Ruddigore (Gilbert & Sullivan) and Joshua (Handel). He also acted as Chorus Master for the acclaimed Grimes on the Beach at the 2013 Aldeburgh Festival, and recently conducted Hansel and Gretel for the RNCM. He has appeared with the Orchestra of Opera North and Sinfonia Viva in concert, and is Music Director of the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, and Associate Music Director, Sinfonia of Leeds. He has also worked regularly with the Leeds Festival Chorus, and with Huddersfield Choral Society and Sheffield Philharmonic Choir.
Recent conducting credits include Dido and Aeneas and Trouble in Tahiti (Bernstein) for the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Gli Sposi Malcontenti (Storace) for Bampton Classical Opera, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for The Grange Festival.