Kruse, Johann Secundus

1859-

Born at Melbourne, Australia, where at the age of nine he occupied the first desk in the concerts of the local Philharmonic Society. In 1875 he went to study with Joachim in the Hochschule at Berlin, where later he also taught. In 1882 he was appointed principal violin and subconductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Society, and in the same year founded a string quartet. He went to Australia in 1885, but was recalled to Germany to relieve Joachim of some of the work at the Hochschule, where he continued to teach until 1891, when he went to Bremen to lead the Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1892 he joined the Joachim Quartet, although he conducted a quartet of his own in Bremen, where he still lived. In 1895 he made a short tour of Australia, and in 1897 he went to London, where his musical activity began with the founding of a quartet and the giving of a series of concerts in St. James r Hall.  In 1902 he conducted the Saturday Popular concerts, reducing them to ten programs. In 1903 he restored them to their original number, twenty, beside conducting the twenty Monday Popular concerts and arranging several other important series of concerts. He has became well known in London as a performer of chambermusic, in which branch he particularly excels. His chief characteristics as a violin-player are his brilliant staccato bowing and his trill.