Biography
Christopher Kraus is collaborative and solo artist in the Delaware and Philadelphia areas, currently residing in Northern Delaware with his wife and young son.
As an organist/pianist/accompanist/choral director, Christopher has made his mark in the Delaware Valley performing with such organizations as Tenth Presbyterian Church in Center City, Philadelphia, and with Bootless Artworks, CoroAllegro, AstraZeneca Corporate Choir, Capitol Brass, and Brandywine Valley Baptist Church in Delaware. Christopher is currently the Director of Traditional Music at Faith Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, also coordinating the Faith Concert Series where he can often be found accompanying/collaborating with professional musicians from all over the eastern United States.
Christopher started his musical studies on piano as a young child with Nancy Goodwin, twice winning DSMTA State Honors Award under her tutelage. As a student at the University of Delaware (BM Music Theory), he studied with jazz pianist, John Southard. Christopher’s organ studies began with famed soloist Paul Jacobs while attending an AGO-sponsored Pipe Organ Encounter Camp on full scholarship. He has also studied organ with David Herman (U of DE) and Eckart Schlandt (while in Romania traveling with the Music School of Delaware). Christopher also received organ and choral conducting instruction from Paul S. Jones (Tenth Presbyterian Church) during his time at Temple University (MM Music Theory).
In 2022, Christopher became the second owner of a Zuckermann 5-octave Harpsichord, originally built from a kit by Doug Nelson in 1972-73. In addition to developing harpsichord-specific keyboard skills, the process of owning such an instrument has required knowledge of tuning, maintenance, voicing, and care of these Baroque instruments.
When not performing, Christopher works in Data Science, leading the analytics delivery division of LabWare, a LIMS provider headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. He also donates his time as a member of the Board of Directors at the Music School of Delaware.
As an organist/pianist/accompanist/choral director, Christopher has made his mark in the Delaware Valley performing with such organizations as Tenth Presbyterian Church in Center City, Philadelphia, and with Bootless Artworks, CoroAllegro, AstraZeneca Corporate Choir, Capitol Brass, and Brandywine Valley Baptist Church in Delaware. Christopher is currently the Director of Traditional Music at Faith Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, also coordinating the Faith Concert Series where he can often be found accompanying/collaborating with professional musicians from all over the eastern United States.
Christopher started his musical studies on piano as a young child with Nancy Goodwin, twice winning DSMTA State Honors Award under her tutelage. As a student at the University of Delaware (BM Music Theory), he studied with jazz pianist, John Southard. Christopher’s organ studies began with famed soloist Paul Jacobs while attending an AGO-sponsored Pipe Organ Encounter Camp on full scholarship. He has also studied organ with David Herman (U of DE) and Eckart Schlandt (while in Romania traveling with the Music School of Delaware). Christopher also received organ and choral conducting instruction from Paul S. Jones (Tenth Presbyterian Church) during his time at Temple University (MM Music Theory).
In 2022, Christopher became the second owner of a Zuckermann 5-octave Harpsichord, originally built from a kit by Doug Nelson in 1972-73. In addition to developing harpsichord-specific keyboard skills, the process of owning such an instrument has required knowledge of tuning, maintenance, voicing, and care of these Baroque instruments.
When not performing, Christopher works in Data Science, leading the analytics delivery division of LabWare, a LIMS provider headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. He also donates his time as a member of the Board of Directors at the Music School of Delaware.
