Michael Ponti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Michael Ponti (October 29, 1937 at Freiburg im Breisgau): pianist.

Michael Ponti was born in Germany, and studied piano in Washington DC with Gilmour McDonald from 1942–1955 and then with Eric Flinsch in Frankfurt am Main from 1955–1961. In 1964 he won first prize in the Busoni-Wettbewerb.

Ponti is remembered fondly by a generation of music lovers for his wide-ranging recordings of the unknown romantic repertoire. He recorded a series of concertos, many of which had never been recorded before and some, indeed, unrecorded since, by such composers as Ignaz Moscheles, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Sigismund Thalberg, Moritz Moszkowski and Hans Bronsart von Schellendorf. He also recorded the piano music of Scriabin, much of which was otherwise unavailable. His output amounts to over 80 discs. His playing had a bravura and technical virtuosity that well suited this virtuoso repertoire.

In 1977 he founded his own trio (with violinist Robert Zimansky and cellisten Jan Polasek).