The Kruger Brothers

Artist Information

Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age. Growing up in a family where music was an important part of life, they were exposed to a broad diversity of musical influences. The brothers were performing regularly by the time they were eleven and twelve years old, and they began their professional career in 1979. Jens’ and Uwe’s first public performances were as a duo, and in just a few years they were busking on the streets of cities throughout eastern and western Europe. Not long after, in 1982, Jens was a featured guest artist of Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys on the Grand Ole Opry making him quite likely the first European banjo player to ever perform on the hallowed stage.

CBS Records contracted with Jens and Uwe when Jens was just seventeen years old, and shortly thereafter, the Krugers hosted a radio show on SRG SSR, the Swiss Public broadcast group. Several years later, the brothers teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, a native of New York City, who also had a very extensive musical upbringing in classical and jazz music (studying with jazz great Milt Hinton), thus forming a trio that has been playing professionally together since 1995. The trio moved to the United States in 2002 and has ever since been based in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. On June 6th 2006 an official US flag was flown over the US capitol in honor of Jens and his contributions to American culture. Jens and Uwe were eventually made honorary citizens of North Carolina and in 2020 The Kruger Brothers were inducted into the Wilkes County Hall of Fame.

Since their formal introduction to American audiences in 1997, The Kruger Brothers’ remarkable discipline, creativity, and their ability to infuse classical music into folk music has resulted in a unique, nuanced sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic music. The honesty of their writing has since become a hallmark of the trio’s work. They have performed with the likes of Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Willie Nelson, and many more. The Kruger Brothers are also very well known for their performances and commissioned works with symphony orchestras, chamber orchestras, and string quartets in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts and Chamber Music America, among others.

Accolades abound - in 2011 Jens was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. Two years later, in the fall of 2013, he was awarded the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo & Bluegrass, The Kruger Brothers then performing together with Steve on Late Night with David Letterman. Jens is also a 2021 inductee into the American Banjo Hall of Fame. In their ever-expanding body of work, Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), and Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals) together as The Kruger Brothers personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.

Together, they established the incomparable sound that The Kruger Brothers are known for today - their original music is crafted around their discerning taste, and the result is unpretentious, cultivated, and delightfully fresh. Jens, Uwe, and Joel have always felt a deep emotional responsibility towards their audience always striving to inspire hearts through their music leaving people feeling loved, respected, and with a renewed sense of joy and hope.

The Kruger Brothers continue to tour extensively sharing their music with audiences far and wide. To date, they have recorded and released more than twenty-two albums.