05/19/2026
✨ A R T I S T • S P O T L I G H T ✨
Longtime friends and Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest supporters, the Kruger Brothers are back and taking the stage once again this July! Tickets on sale now at docwatsonmusicfest.org
Born and raised in Europe, brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger started singing and playing instruments at a very young age. The two brothers were performing regularly by 1973; their full professional career began in 1979. CBS Records contracted with the brothers when Jens was just seventeen years old. In 1989 the brothers teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, a native of New York City; together, they established the
incomparable sound that the Kruger Brothers are known for today. The trio moved to the United States in 2003 and has since been based in Wilkesboro, NC. Since their formal introduction to American audiences in 1997, the Kruger Brothers’ remarkable discipline, creativity, and their ability to infuse classical music into folk and bluegrass music has resulted in a unique sound that has made them a fixture within the world of acoustic
music. Joining their ranks full-time in 2025, mandolinist extraordinaire and Wilkesboro
native, Jonah Horton, adds an exciting musical dynamic to the group’s unparalleled sound.
Accolades abound for these musicians - in 2006, Jens performed his symphonic arrangement “Music From the Spring” in Washington, D.C. with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in recognition of his cultural contributions, the American flag was flown over the U.S. Capitol in his honor. In 2011 Jens was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in the “Regional Musician” category. 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 in an epic performance on Late Night with David Letterman. Jens is as well the 2021 inductee into the American Banjo Hall of Fame. Yet another milestone was met for the group on
August 6, 2024 when the Kruger Brothers “stepped into the Circle” for their official debut
performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage. In March of 2025 the Kruger Brothers were inducted into the Blue Ridge Hall of Fame. Too numerous to note, the Kruger Brothers have received honors and awards over the years not only in the US, but internationally as well including PrixVallo and more… In their ever-expanding body of work, the Kruger Brothers – Jens Kruger (banjo and vocals), Uwe Kruger (guitar and lead vocals), Joel Landsberg (bass and vocals), and Jonah Horton (mandolin) – personify the spirit of exploration and innovation that forms the core of the American musical tradition.
