“...consistently captivating and lively music making...”
With his "exuberant musical power and impulsive virtuosity" (Hamburger Abendblatt), Philip A. Draganov has excited audiences in Europe, Asia and the USA for over 30 years.
Mr. Draganov has given concerts in some of the most important concert halls in the world including Carnegie Hall in New York, the Tonhalle Zurich, the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing, the Cologne Philharmonic, the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, and the Alte Oper in Frankfurt, as well as at major festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival.
He has recorded sonatas by Franck, Brahms and Schnittke, as well as a solo CD entitled “The Violin Battle" with works by Bach and Ysaÿe. This acclaimed CD is distributed by SONY MUSIC in Europe, and NAXOS worldwide.
In addition to solo performances and chamber music concerts, Mr. Draganov performs in orchestras around the world as both section leader and concertmaster. He has collaborated with famed conductors such as Günter Wand, Herbert Blomstedt, Christoph von Dohnány, Michael Tilson Thomas, Alan Gilbert, Bernard Haitink, Sir Roger Norrington, and Christoph Eschenbach in various orchestras such as Hamburg’s NDR Symphony Orchestra, the Saarland State Theater in Saarbrücken, and the Zurich Chamber orchestra.
At the age of 6, Mr. Draganov won his first competition with the 1st prize in “Jugend musiziert”. At the age of 10 he became 1st Federal Prize winner at “Jugend musiziert” in Germany, and was then selected as the representative of the Federal Republic of Germany for the international “Premio Mozart” competition in Verona, Italy, where he won the prize for a RAI-EUROVISION television production that was broadcast in 24 countries. He subsequently won further awards and competitions including the "Competition for the Promotion of Young Artists", and was invited by Gerd Albrecht to perform concerts at the Hamburg State Opera. Several foundations, such as the Oscar and Vera Ritter Foundation, awarded him scholarships during his training.
At just 12 years of age he made his solo debut with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra in Hamburg's Laeiszhalle. Numerous television appearances and radio recordings document the artist's career.
Mr. Draganov studied as a pre-college student with Uwe-Martin Haiberg at the University of the Arts (then Hochschule der Künste) in Berlin, and then at the renowned Juilliard School in New York. He continued his training in Europe with Hermann Krebbers (Amsterdam), Ida Bieler (Düsseldorf) and Jens Ellermann in Hannover, where he also studied chamber music with Hatto Beyerle of the Alban Berg Quartet. He completed his violin studies at the University of Music and Theater Zurich (today: Zurich University of the Arts) with Nora Chastain.
In addition, he participated at masterclasses with Ana Chumachenco, Thomas Brandis, Rosa Fain and Marina Yashvili and also received private lessons in baroque violin from Elisabeth Wallfisch in London.
Mr. Draganov plays a violin dating back to 1769 by Tomaso Balestrieri, a pupil of Antonio Stradivari. He also enjoys playing instruments by modern luthiers Stephan von Baehr (Paris) and Peter Greiner (London).
During the past few years, Philip A. Draganov has made the decision to reduce his concert activity as a violinist and dedicates his time only to selected projects, as a result to his growing conducting activity and the great responsibility of being a teacher, which he commits himself to with high professionalism.
He lives with his wife, a concert pianist, and his two children, just outside of Zurich.
“... this young musician played and lived the music with such emphasis, as if it were the last thing that one could present... Light as a feather, he got into a dance with his instrument which elicited the most wonderful and excitingly intense sounds. With his complete identification with the music, he was able to produce the most subtle moods.”