|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Antonio Pontarelli and David Benoit Celebrate the Stars of Tomorrow Antonio Pontarelli award winning rock violinist and David Benoit, Grammy nominated jazz pianist are aligning their star power and bringing you one of the most unforgettable concerts of the year. On Sunday, April 23rd, the Asia American Symphony Association will present "The Stars of Tomorrow" featuring rock violin phenomenon, Antonio Pontarelli. The Asia America Symphony Association is dedicated to promoting music and cultural exchange, encouraging the development of young musicians, and offering a broad variety of activities designed to educate and enrich the diverse communities of Southern California. Fifteen year-old Pontarelli will take the stage with the direction of Grammy-Nominated Jazz pianist, David Benoit to perform with the Asia America Youth Orchestra. From Vivaldi to George Gershwin's greatest works, Pontarelli will be sure to ignite the stage with his own fiery renditions. He has taken the industry by storm with his ability to improvise and produce an engaging sound that's different from other chart-topping artists. "I'm really honored to be working with David Benoit again and to be a part of something that creates passion for music, " said Pontarelli. "Mr. Benoit and I performed last year at the 9th Annual Mercedes Benz Wavefest at the Greek Theatre as individual artists, so it's really exciting to be actually performing with him since he's someone I tremendously admire." Pontarelli began his classical training at the age of four and began winning violin competitions when he was only six. As Pontarelli emerged into his teens, he destined for a more modern sound, but didn't lose his classical roots. Thus, the electric "Viper" violin emerged and he found he could rock out and bring a new flavor to the music industry, something completely fresh that would turn them upside down. In March 2006 Pontarelli not only won "Best Song" in SongwriterUniverse, but also was the "People Voice" Teen Winner in the International Songwriting Competition. In 2005 he became "America's Most Talented Kid" Grand Champion, the 2005 ASTA (American String Teachers Association) National Alternative Styles Competition Winner and was honored as "Outstanding Young Rock Musician" at the 26th Annual Young Artists Awards. Pontarelli also received a scholarship to GRAMMY Camp as a singer/songwriter where he had the opportunity to work with musical mentors like David Foster and Stevie Vai, showcasing his music to industry insiders. The GRAMMY organization has recognized him as an emerging talent to definitely keep your eye on. The Stars of Tomorrow will take place on Sunday, April 23, 7:00 p.m. at the Norris Theatre for the Performing Arts: Rolling Hills Estates, CA write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |