Biography

  Franz Ludvig Serafin Kraggerud began playing the cello at the age of five. He currently studies with Louisa Tuck and has previously been a student of Kari Ravnan. He has also had lessons and masterclasses with Torleif Thedeen, Adrian Brendel, Martti Rousi, Alexander Chaushian, Natalie Clein and others. Despite his young age, Franz has already received numerous prizes in both national and international competitions. In May 2025, he was awarded First Prize at the International David Geringas Violoncello Competition.  October 2021, he won First Prize at the Midgard Competition, and later that same year he received the Third Prize at the Nutcracker Competition in Moscow. At the final concert, he performed Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra; the performance was broadcast live on Russian television. On that occasion, he was also awarded the international EMCY Prize. In April 2022, Franz won First Prize at the Young Musician Competition in Tallinn, where he also appeared as a soloist with the EMTA Sinfonietta.  Franz has appeared as a soloist on several occasions , including performances with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Stavanger Symphony Orchestra, and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra (Kringkastingsorkesteret). He has also performed as a soloist in Berlin with the Geringas Chamber Orchestra, conducted by David Geringas. Other conductors he has worked with includes Mikhail Shekhtman, Patrik Ringborg, Cathrine Winnes, Toomas Vavilov, Markus Obereder, David Maiwald and Eldar Nilsen. In November 2025, he performed as soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto at the closing concert of the Young Classic Europe festival in Passau, together with the Musisches Salzburg Orchestra.  Franz is also an active chamber musician and frequently performs with his siblings, Alma and Hector. Together they have appeared at numerous festivals in Norway and internationally, both as soloists and chamber musicians. These include their own concert at the Virtuoso Belcanto Festival in Lucca, as well as appearances at Young Classic Europe in Passau, the Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival (England), the West Cork Chamber Music Festival (Ireland), the Oslo Chamber Music Festival and a performance at the Kavli Prize ceremony in 2022. In 2026, they have been invited to return to the Purbeck International Chamber Music Festival. Franz plays a cello made by Francesco Rugeri in 1680, kindly on loan from Dextra Musica. Photo: Sveinung Hoel Bjorå