DRAHOS, BELA

Béla Drahos was born in Kaposvar in South-West Hungary in 1955 and entered the Gyor Conservatory in 1969, winning first prizes in the 1971 Concertino Prague International Flute Competition and, a year later, the flute competition staged by Hungarian Television.

Study at the Liszt Academy in Budapest led to graduation with distinction in 1978, then to further awards in Prague and, in 1979, at the Bratislava Interpodium. There were also continuing distinctions, including the Hungarian Liszt Prize in 1985, his selection as Hungarian Artist of the Year in 1986 and the award of the Bartok-Pasztory Prize in 1988.

Béla Drahos is the leader and founding member of the Hungarian Radio Wind Quintet and since 1976 has served as Principal Flautist of the Budapest Symphony Orchestra. His concert career has included performances throughout Europe and as far afield as New Zealand.

He has more recently embarked on a parallel career as conductor, and in the summer of 1993 was appointed conductor of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra.

For Naxos, Béla Drahos has produced several discs of the complete cycle of Haydn symphonies, to great critical acclaim. The conductor's rendering of C.P.E. Bach's Sonatas for flute and harpsichord was described as "a first-class musical offering " by BBC Music magazine whilst for Classics Today the second of two volumes of Vivaldi's Flute Concertos with Drahos as soloist "captures the smile that is ever-present in Vivaldi's music with unerring skill and purity of tone".

The complete Beethoven symphonies Drahos conducted with the Nicolaus Esterhazy Sinfonia were described as "the Beethoven cycle to have" by BBC Music and "the finest ever digital cycle of the nine symphonies at budget price" by Classic CD. In addition, the recording Béla Drahos conducted of the Beethoven Triple Concerto became a BBC Music Magazine Editor's Choice.

Besides this enviable output, Béla Drahos appears for Naxos again as director in two volumes of Leopold Hofmann's flute concertos and as Flute soloist in Vivaldi's chamber work Il Pastor Fido (Naxos 8.550648) as well as demonstrating his burgeoning versatility by assuming the role of choral conductor in Haydn's Nelson Mass and Little Organ Mass (Naxos 8.554416).

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Haydn’s death, a special 34-CD Box Set of THE COMPLETE SYMPHONIES (8.503400) has been released featuring Béla Drahos.

Albums featuring this artist are available for download from ClassicsOnline.com
20 KLASSISKA FAVORITER (20 Classical Favorites)	8.570566
BEETHOVEN (Eternal)	8.572131
BEETHOVEN (THE BEST OF)	8.556651
BEETHOVEN (THE VERY BEST OF)	8.552105-06
BEETHOVEN FOR MEDITATION	8.557751
BEETHOVEN: Adagio	8.552240
BEETHOVEN: Overtures, Vol. 2	8.553431
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 6	8.553474
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 5	8.553476
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 8	8.553475
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 4 and 7	8.553477
BEETHOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 5 and 6	8.554061
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 9, 'Choral'	8.553478
BEETHOVEN: Triple Concerto, Op. 56 / Piano Concerto in D Major, Op. 61a	8.554288
CHILL WITH BEETHOVEN	8.556790
CHILL WITH VIVALDI	8.556779
CINEMA CLASSICS 2005	8.556814
CLASSICAL MOMENTS 1: Classical Music to Wake Up to	8.555357
CLASSICS AT THE MOVIES - SUSPENSE	8.556810
Credo: Music for Reflection and Meditation	8.556708
DISCOVER CHORAL MUSIC	8.558198-99
Discover Music of the Classical Era	8.558180-81
Discover Music of the Romantic Era	8.558155-56
DISCOVER THE CLASSICS, VOL. 3: The Concerto	8.554486-87
DISCOVER THE SYMPHONY (1998 edition)	8.554337-38
DISCOVER THE SYMPHONY (2008 edition)	8.558208-09
EXPLOSIVE CLASSICS	8.554581
Family Symphony	8.557479DX
Fantasia	8.551166
FLUTE MOMENTS	8.557788
HAYDN: Nelson Mass / Little Organ Mass	8.554416
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 11 (Nos. 53, 86, 87)	8.550768
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 12 (Nos. 69, 89, 91)	8.550769
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 13 (Nos. 64, 84, 90)	8.550770
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 14 (Nos. 97, 98)	8.550780
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 15 (Nos. 72, 93, 95)	8.550797
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 21 (Nos. 66, 67, 68)	8.554406
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 23 (Nos. 27, 28, 31)	8.554405
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 25 (Nos. 70, 71, 73)	8.555708
HAYDN: Symphonies, Vol. 27 (Nos. 50, 51, 52)	8.555324
HOFMANN: Flute Concertos, Vol. 1	8.554747
HOFMANN: Flute Concertos, Vol. 2	8.554748
HOFMANN: Oboe Concertos	8.553979
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL NZ 2001	8.555883
JESUS CHRIST IN MUSIC	8.557161
Kyrie: Classical Music for Reflection and Meditation	8.556707
LOVE AND PEACE	8.557362DX
MAGIC OF THE FLUTE (THE)	8.571089
MCCLEERY, D.: Discover Music of the Romantic Era	NA495212
MEDITATION	8.571075
MEDITATION - Classical Favourites for Relaxing and Dreaming	8.556614
Music for Kids CD 8: Music from Planet Earth	8.558021
MUSICAL JOURNEY (A) - VIENNA: A Musical Tour of the City's Past and Present (NTSC)	2.110502
PANDA CLASSICS - Issue No. 4: Toon Time	8.578011-12
PERFECT SPRING WEDDING	8.557976
RHAPSODY - Classical Favourites for Relaxing and Dreaming	8.556617
Ten Years Of Success	8.554103
UNGER-HAMILTON, C.: Discover Music of the Baroque Era	NA495912
VIVALDI (THE VERY BEST OF)	8.552101-02
VIVALDI, A.: Bassoon Concertos (Complete), Vol. 5	8.570798
VIVALDI: Bassoon Concertos (Complete), Vol. 1	8.555937
VIVALDI: Bassoon Concertos (Complete), Vol. 2	8.555938
VIVALDI: Bassoon Concertos (Complete), Vol. 3	8.557556
VIVALDI: Bassoon Concertos (Complete), Vol. 4	8.557829
VIVALDI: Flute Concertos	8.571105
VIVALDI: Flute Concertos, Vol. 1	8.553365
Voices of Angels	8.503071