Norbert Kraft

Kraft, Norbert

Norbert Kraft, classical guitarist (b at Linz, Austria 21 Aug 1950). He was brought to Canada in 1954 and took up classical guitar relatively late, at age 17, but has gone on to establish himself as one of the world's finest guitarists. He was the first N American to win the prestigious top prize in the Andrés Segovia International Guitar Competition, held in Palma de Majorca, Spain. Kraft's other accomplishments include winning the Grand Prize at the CBC Talent Festival in 1979, recording with the Winnipeg Symphony and the Boston Pops, and numerous engagements with symphony orchestras nationwide.

He is a faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music and a professor of guitar and chamber music at the University of Toronto. He is founder and director of the Toronto Guitarfest, and has edited and compiled many musical publications, including the official graded repertoire series for the Royal Conservatory. Kraft is chairman of competitions for the International Guitar Festival in Toronto. He began teaching at the Manhattan School of Music in 1991.