Although Professor Victor Bunin and Julia Amada Kruger have judged many international piano competitions together the past seven years, their union as a duo/due team began in 2002 and already they are in constant demand both in the US, Russia and Europe.  They have performed extensively across the United States and in June of 2005 were invited by the United Nations in Kosovo to present a “Week of Music” for the entire country/region.  For the first time since the war ended over 10 years ago, the Bunin/Kruger team were welcomed as musical ambassadors to the war devastated country and presented daily Master Classes as well as nightly concerts (both duet as well as concerti with orchestra) for students and teachers from over 5 countries in the region, including Albania and Serbia. Their concerts, master classes and television shows received acclaim across Europe.  As a result, they were invited by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania to be the Guest Artists performing for the European Cultural Summit in Tirana, Albania in November, 2006.  While in Tirana, the Kruger/Bunin team performed for 18 Foreign Ministers, 1000 European political delegates, and over 130 European journalists.  Performances in Albania included a performance with the Albanian Symphony Orchestra as well as a private concert for the Foreign Ministers.  The team also presented several days of master classes for young pianists from Albania during the monumental musical week.

The Bunin/Kruger team continues to receive multiple international performance invitations. In August, 2005, Bunin and Kruger were the Performing Guest Artists at the renowned Instituto Musicale Nicola Vaccaj in Tolentino, Italy where they performed as well as taught daily classes in performance techniques.

In April of 2006, the Bunin/Kruger duo performed in Carnegie Hall (New York City) and have been invited to teach at the National University in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the near future. In September/October, 2006, Kruger and Bunin traveled to Kislovodsk, Russia and the Western Caucus of Georgia (Russia) where they were the Guest Artists performing Mozart’s two-piano concerto in E-flat, K365 with the State Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia under the baton of renowned conductor, Leonid Shulman. 

In January, 2007, the Bunin/Kruger duo team started their 2007 US tour by performing the Inaugural Concert at the International Duo Competition Awards Concert in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.  Following this concert, they then presented concerts in many western states in the US, ending with a benefit concert in Austin, TX for CASA.  Again in January, 2008, 2009 as well as 20010, the duo team performed the Inaugural Concert at the Broadmoor Hotel for the United States International Duo Competition.  In the summer of 2008, the Bunin/Kruger duo team were invited to be the “professors-in-residence” at a new “Performance Festival” held in Cepina/Bormio, Italy.  The festival attracted students from the United States and Russia.  They returned in July of 2009 to continue their work with international students interested in the intense performance opportunities offered by the Italian festival.

Besides performing and judging together, Kruger and Bunin have been asked by Russian musicians to organize a yearly “Russian/American” Piano competition.  The first competition will be held in Moscow, Russia and will then alternate locations with the second held in the United States. They have also been invited to create the first International Duo/Duet summer festival in Italy which will be the first European festival devoted to the study of ensembles.  In addition, the duo team has received an invitation to record a series of CD’s devoted to Russian duo/duet repertoire.

The Kruger/Bunin duo team began their 2009 Performance Tour in the western states of the United States as well as performances in Sitka and Kodiak Island, Alaska.  Performances in 2009 will also include concerts in Moscow, Russia and Buenos Aries, Argentina.  In June of 2009, the duo team were the Guest Artists for the new International Music Festival to be held in Albania (sponsored by the UNESCO foundation).  They presented the “closing” concert for the Festival in Tirana, Albania and performed a second concert at the University Kristal in Tirana.  Included on this trip was also an interview for European TV as well as Public Radio, and their concerts will be formatted for a special European television show similar to the Public Television broadcasts in the US.  In October, 2009, the Kruger/Bunin duo team presented two concerts in Moscow, Russia.

Prof. Victor Bunin lives with his wife, Svetlana, and son Eugene in Moscow, Russia and teaches at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory (Moscow) as well as the Musical Conservatory in Syria.  Julia Amada Kruger lives in Austin, TX with her husband, James, and their 4-legged “children” Rambo and Bella and their 2-legged “feather children,” Mozart and Lovie.  She is the Vice-President of the American College of Musicians as well as a private piano professor for 44+ weekly piano students.