Clara Ponty
Encyclopedia
Clara PontyClara Ponty (born in Paris
, France
) is a French pianist
, vocalist and pop
and jazz
composer
.
. Born in Paris but living in Los Angeles since age four, she began studying violin and piano at the age of five. By the time she was eight, she had written her first piece. She participated in local competitions in Los Angeles and won her first award at age eleven.
Clara Ponty continued her studies into her early teens when she was accepted into the prestigious music program at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan
. Here she was chosen the youngest performer ever to join Interlochen’s coveted “Tour of Stars.” She later attended the Maryland Conservatory and the University of Southern California
(USC). Her piano teachers were masters such as Nelita True, John Perry, Hans Kemmerling and Elena Varvarova. At age 22 she graduated from USC after performing a remarkable 2-hour recital in front of a jury and an enthusiastic audience with a program including Bach
, Beethoven, Schumann
, Chopin and Debussy.
It was followed in 1999 by “The Embrace” on which Ponty revealed her depth as a composer, pianist and vocalist with ten new original works. Both recordings have met with critical acclaim. Featured prominently in mainstream media such as “People” and "Forbes magazines", Ponty’s appeal transcends genres. “The Embrace” reached number 1 on New Age Voice’s “Airwaves Top 100”, a playlist reported by radio programmers across America. Following the release of these recordings, she performed concerts in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Fond of Indian culture, one of Clara’s dreams materialized In December 2002 when she performed in Bombay and New Delhi for the first time.
Ponty wrote twelve new pieces for her third album entitled “Mirror of Truth” released in North America on J.L.P. Productions in August 2004 and in Europe in 2006. Her father co-produced this new project with her and contributed a couple of violin solos and strings arrangements, besides the collaboration of cello, guitar, bass and percussion. A new vocal album will be released in 2009, co-produced with Stuart Bruce, which will include 9 original songs and 3 instrumentals.
In November 2010, a compilation album called "ECHOES" was released in Europe. This jazz album of thirteen instrumental pieces written by Clara Ponty. She is joined and in collaboration with renowned European jazz musicians, Wolfgang Haffner on drums, Dieter ILg on bass and Ernst Stroer on percussion. Guest trumpet artists, Sebastien Studnitsky and Nils Wulker also appear on a couple tracks.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is a French pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, vocalist and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
Early life
Ponty is the daughter of jazz violinist and composer Jean-Luc PontyJean-Luc Ponty
Jean-Luc Ponty is a French virtuoso violinist and jazz composer.- Early years:Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians on 29 September 1942 in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano...
. Born in Paris but living in Los Angeles since age four, she began studying violin and piano at the age of five. By the time she was eight, she had written her first piece. She participated in local competitions in Los Angeles and won her first award at age eleven.
Clara Ponty continued her studies into her early teens when she was accepted into the prestigious music program at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Here she was chosen the youngest performer ever to join Interlochen’s coveted “Tour of Stars.” She later attended the Maryland Conservatory and the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC). Her piano teachers were masters such as Nelita True, John Perry, Hans Kemmerling and Elena Varvarova. At age 22 she graduated from USC after performing a remarkable 2-hour recital in front of a jury and an enthusiastic audience with a program including Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
, Beethoven, Schumann
Robert Schumann
Robert Schumann, sometimes known as Robert Alexander Schumann, was a German composer, aesthete and influential music critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most representative composers of the Romantic era....
, Chopin and Debussy.
Career
Ponty moved to Manhattan where her debut recording for Philips Music Group / Universal Records simply titled “Clara Ponty” was recorded and released in 1997. It featured the artist performing original works for solo piano.It was followed in 1999 by “The Embrace” on which Ponty revealed her depth as a composer, pianist and vocalist with ten new original works. Both recordings have met with critical acclaim. Featured prominently in mainstream media such as “People” and "Forbes magazines", Ponty’s appeal transcends genres. “The Embrace” reached number 1 on New Age Voice’s “Airwaves Top 100”, a playlist reported by radio programmers across America. Following the release of these recordings, she performed concerts in the US, Canada, and Europe.
Fond of Indian culture, one of Clara’s dreams materialized In December 2002 when she performed in Bombay and New Delhi for the first time.
Ponty wrote twelve new pieces for her third album entitled “Mirror of Truth” released in North America on J.L.P. Productions in August 2004 and in Europe in 2006. Her father co-produced this new project with her and contributed a couple of violin solos and strings arrangements, besides the collaboration of cello, guitar, bass and percussion. A new vocal album will be released in 2009, co-produced with Stuart Bruce, which will include 9 original songs and 3 instrumentals.
In November 2010, a compilation album called "ECHOES" was released in Europe. This jazz album of thirteen instrumental pieces written by Clara Ponty. She is joined and in collaboration with renowned European jazz musicians, Wolfgang Haffner on drums, Dieter ILg on bass and Ernst Stroer on percussion. Guest trumpet artists, Sebastien Studnitsky and Nils Wulker also appear on a couple tracks.
Discography
- Clara Ponty (1997)
- The Embrace (1999)
- Mirror of Truth (2004)
- Echoes (2010)
- Into the Light (2011)
External links
- claraponty.com - Official website