Levente Bakó (Nyíregyháza, 1977. április 12. –) Liszt Prize-winning Hungarian trumpet artist conductor. Knight Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit.
Levente Bakó was born in Nyíregyháza in 1977. He began his musical studies at Nyíregyháza at the State Music School, and from 1991 to 1995 he studied trumpet at the Music School of Secondary Art in Nyíregyháza under the direction of Gyula Nagy. At the age of 10 he won a special prize at the IMRE LUBIK National Music Competition. After that he was awarded first and foremost prize at Nyíregyháza No. 4. at the Singing-Music Primary School competitions. In 1993 he was second to the National Music School of Trumpet Competition.
In 1995 he was admitted to Budapest at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music where Frigyes Varasdy was a his trumpet teacher. His musical talents soon evolved. In the early days of 1996, he founded the world-famous EWALD Brass Band, which he has been the first trumpeter and artistic leader ever since. As the leader of the ensemble, they were the winner of many international competitions, honors and prizes. In 2004, he created the Szatmár Brass Music Festival with artistic friends, whose is its art director. From 2008 he is the artistic director of the Varasdy Frigyes National College and University Trumpet Competition. From 2009 he is the conductor of the Szabolcsi Concert Orchestra in Nyíregyháza. From 1999 he is the artist of the Óbuda Danubia Orchestra.
Competition Awards with the Ewald Brass Band
- France, Narbonne: 1st prize, special prize (1998)
- Germany, Moers: III. prize (1999)
- Germany, Munich: II. prize (1999)
- Germany, Passau: II. prize (1999)
- Germany, Bremen: 1st prize (2000)
- South Korea, Jeju: 1st prize, special prize (2000)
- United States, Athens: II. prize (2001)
- Germany, Passau: II. prize (2001)
- Germany, Munich: 1st prize (2001)
Awards, honors
- Hungarian Copyright and Legal Protection: Artisjus Prize (2000)
- Ministry of National Cultural Heritage: Ferenc Liszt Prize (2002)
- Hungarian Copyright and Protection Law: Artisjus Prize (2003)
- Gramofon – Classical and Jazz: Special Prize (2005)
- Hungarian Copyright and Legal Protection: Artisjus Prize (2005)
- Junior Prima Prize (2008)
- Hungarian Copyright and Law Protection Institute: Artisjus Prize (2010)
- Knight Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit (2014)
Sheets, recordings with the Ewald Brass Band
- 1999. Western German Radio, Karlsruhe
- 2001 “Chamber Music” (CD1) Grammy Records
- 2002. Hungarian Radio, Budapest
- 2003 Central German Radio, Leipzig
- 2003 Bavarian Radio, Munich
- 2003. “Popular Music” (CD2) Allegro Thaler
- 2005. J. Bellon: Four Brass Quintets (CD3) Hungaroton Records LTD
- 2006 W. Ramsöe Brass Quartets (CD4) Hungaroton Records LTD
- 2007. J. Pezel & G. Reiche: Tower Sonates (CD5) Hungaroton Records LTD
- 2008. JH Schein: Chamber Music for Brass (CD6) Hungaroton Records LTD
- 2008. “Popular Music 2.” (CD7) Ewald Brass
- 2009. Brass 5 – Hungarian contemporary music (CD8) Hungaroton Records LTD
- 2010. Simon A.: 22 small starters, banned sonata (CD9) Hungaroton Records LTD
- 2011. Frigyes Hidas’s Works (CD10) Hungaroton Records LTD
Featured Concerts / Ewald Brass Band Ensemble
- 1998 Hungarian Cultural Year – Warsaw, Poland
- 1998 International Competition Winner Festival – Guebwiller, France
- 1999. 50 years of Chinese-Hungarian Diplomacy – Beijing, China / Academy of Music
- 1999. “Swiss Brass Week” – Leukerbad, Switzerland
- 2001 Hungarian Cultural Year – Paris, France / LOUVRE
- 2002 International Brass Festival – Jeju, South Korea
- 2003 International Book Fair – Zagreb, Croatia
- 2003 “Hungarian Magic” – London, England / WALLACE COLLECTION
- 2004 Hungarian Cultural Days – Salzburg, Austria
- 2005 Hungarian Cultural Year – Saint Petersburg and Moscow, Russia / PHILHARMONIA
- 2009 Hungarian Cultural Year – New York, USA / CARNEGIE HALL, JULLIARD UNIVERSITY
- Asian Tour 2011: Beijing, Seoul, Taipei
- 2011 Arab Emirates Tour
- 2014. Belarus – Minsk
- 2015 Kuwait – Kuwait City