New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Carlo Ponti is the critically acclaimed conductor whose debut album with the world-renowned Russian
National Orchestra (RNO) is out December 2nd on PentaTone Classics. Born into film royalty, Ponti is the eldest son of actress
Sophia Loren and film producer Carlo Ponti.
Ponti credits his parents for his musical passion: "My parents exposed me to the arts and music early on. Beethoven and Brahms were always playing in our house. One of my earliest memories is my parents sitting next to me at the piano, watching me play," says Ponti. "From a young age, they encouraged me to pursue my love of music. My father had an instinct for recognizing people's innate talents and encouraged me to follow my dreams and become a conductor."
Ponti has an impressive resume. He was appointed Associate Conductor of the Moscow-based RNO in 2000, and since 2001 has been Music Director and Principal Conductor of the San Bernardino Symphony in the United States. He has appeared as guest conductor with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta de Valencia, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Budapest Concert Orchestra as well as at numerous international music festivals.
Following his critically acclaimed debut with the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale in Florence, Ponti was awarded Italy's prestigious Premio Galileo Award in 2006 for exceptional musical achievement. In the United States, he was the recipient of the 2008 Artistic Achievement Award from the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition for his contributions to the development and advancement of young musical talent throughout the world.
Ponti resides in Southern California with his wife, Hungarian violinist Andrea Ponti, and their two-year-old son, Sophia Loren's first grandson.
The SuperAudio CD on the PentaTone Classics label features Modest Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Night on the Bare Mountain. Also included are symphonic selections from two Mussorgsky operas, The Sorochinsky Fair and Khovanshchina.
The recording was underwritten by philanthropists Mouli and Stacy Cohen.
"[Ponti's] conducting... was a reminder of the wonders of music-making." The Sacramento Bee
"... thanks to the musical sculpting talents of conductor Carlo Ponti, Monday's concert might best be described as a magical experience... Ponti and the Russian National Orchestra offered an electrically charged reading of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition..." Napa Valley Register
"Ponti displayed some understated star power on the podium... The RNO rose to excellence in Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, where passages... were rendered with razor-sharp accuracy, and the brass section turned brass into gold." The Seattle Times
