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| Antonio Pontarelli Creates New Electricity for Jazz Jazz fans will be jumping out of their seats once they experience Antonio Pontarelli at the 9th Annual Mercedes-Benz WaveFest presented by Southern California's legendary smooth jazz station, 94.7 FM. Antonio, who is just fourteen, is the industry's ultimate violinist as well as the youngest performer to join the all-star lineup at this year's WaveFest featuring Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G; Latin jazz artist Poncho Sanchez; composer and pianist David Benoit; and instrumentalist Michael Lington on Saturday, October 1, 2005 at the Greek Theatre. Antonio wowed audiences earlier this year with his extraordinary "Hendrix" performance on NBC's "America's Most Talented Kids." With his Viper in hand, a specialized six-string fretted electric violin, Antonio brought the audience to their feet and took home the title of "Grand Champion." "Since becoming the Grand Champion of "America's Most Talented Kids, " there has been an emergence of kids signing up for violin lessons. Finally playing violin has become cool!" said Antonio. "Through my appearance at WaveFest, I'm hoping to draw a younger audience into jazz, creating excitement for the genre and making it edgy." Called "the Rock Violinist" because of the high energy that his music creates, he never fails to put on a passionate and unforgettable performance. Antonio's adult contemporary style, which is influenced by blues, classical and jazz, rocks out with heart thumping beats, engaging hooks and soulful lyrics. At age four, Antonio began studying classical violin and by the age of seven he was winning violin competitions and playing with adult symphony orchestras. He has made special guest appearances with some of the most talented Grammy award-winning musicians in the nation such as Billy Preston, Ray Charles, Marshall Hawkins (Miles Davis), Richie Cole (Manhattan Transfer) Mark O'Connor and the list goes on! The Grammy organization has also recognized Antonio as one of the emerging talents to watch in 2006 and have showcased many of his performances to industry insiders. Antonio was the 2005 winner of the ASTA (American String Teachers Association) National Alternative Styles Competition Winner for rock/blues/jazz and was also honored as "Outstanding Young Rock Musician" at the 26th Annual Young Artists Awards in April. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |