REVIEWS
“Ponti interprets the music beautifully. He brings the most modest of
details out. He sees the picture he wants them to paint. They respond to the
environment he creates. They are a beautifully rehearsed orchestra. It was a
moving performance. So clear, so wonderful. One of the best I’ve seen so far.
In less than five years, he (Ponti) will be sought by orchestras all over the
country.”
Charlotte Sun, Florida
“Ponti is regarded as a rising star, someone gaining international
acclaim and attention."
The
Courier News, Chicago
“The orchestra is fabulous. Maestro Ponti really gets a beautiful sound,
beautiful musicianship.”
Charlotte Sun, Florida
“And, of course, the biggest collaborator of all was the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Raffaele Ponti. The orchestra’s musicians
were the ultimate accompaniment, accentuating each song’s moods, nuances, and
sounds. The sound was superb, as was the playing, but it never overwhelmed the
piano in the center of the stage…"
Buffalo
News
"Ponti brings an exhilarating energy level to center stage. It's an
electrifying swagger-- empowering and enabling him to pull music from light to
darkness and back again."
The Courier News, Chicago
“A bold yet sensitive conductor, Ponti highlights Brahms’ interplay
between the instruments, expertly balancing the sections – emphasizing the
delightful winds and fine trombones while holding in check ESO’s formidable
string section – to illustrate the multiple layers that make this work so
sublime.”
Daily Herald, Chicago
“The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s concert season ended Sunday as it
began in November, with a sold-out audience standing and shouting its
approval.”
Charlotte
Sun, Florida
“Led by last minute replacement conductor Raffaele Ponti of the Paducah
Symphony Orchestra, the BPO gave an expressive performance of the achingly
beautiful score (Swan Lake).”
Buffalo News
“…it’s clear he has a tremendous zest for music, an exuberance recalling
both the roar and rush of a roller coaster ride.”
The Courier News, Chicago
“We have a great orchestra, a great hall, a great public and a great
Maestro.”
Charlotte Sun, Florida
“The music was exciting, and the performance was flawless. Ponti showed
us how passionate he is about the music, and the orchestra demonstrated how
committed they are to excellence.”
Billings Gazette
“Fans worldwide say that his (Ponti) passion shows.”
The Courier News, Chicago
“Eyes hold an entire ensemble. A moment passes.
Then through a series of wordless impulses,
an exceptional conductor, Ponti changes the human chemistry in an orchestra and
audience."
The Courier News, Chicago
“…guest conductor Raffaele Ponti, whose passionate approach to music has
captured international attention.”
The Courier News, Chicago
“Heads bobbed and smiles broke out both on and off the stage Saturday
night as the Billings Symphony Orchestra performed under the baton of Raffaele Ponti." Billings Gazette
“The sound was big, and the orchestra played with great heart. By its
end, musicians’ brows were wet and some members of the audience were teetering
on the edge of their seats.”
Billings Gazette