Otakar Kraus

Otakar Kraus OBE (1909 — 80) was a Czech (later British), operatic baritone and teacher.

He studied in Prague and Milan. He sung at the Royal Opera House between 1951-1973. While he was there, he created the part of Diomede in Troilus and Cressida in 1954 and King Fisher in Tippett’s The Midsummer Marriage in 1955. As a native Czech speaker, he was called upon to work with conductor Sir Edward Downes to produce the English translation of Leoš Janáček‘s Jenůfa for the British Premiere in 1956 at Covent Garden.

He retired from performing to teach. His pupils included Matthew Best, Gwynne Howell, Robert Lloyd, Jonathan Summers, Sir John Tomlinson and Sir Willard White.