Performing arts organizations have, by necessity, cancelled or postponed performances and even entire seasons. Schools have had to go predominantly on-line with their teaching. But what would an orchestra do if one of their main priorities is to give student musicians a chance to play and perform with professionals? That’s precisely the challenge that Carlo Ponti, Music and Artistic Director of Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra, has faced during the pandemic.
Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra (LAV) has a mission statement that reads: “LAV’s mission is to serve as a catalyst in supporting music education through collaborative partnerships with the community, schools, agencies, and other arts organizations, and by allocating 100% of net income from performances to support and develop the study of music.”
Tomorrow night, LAV will stream Rising Stars, a concert from Théâtre Raymond Kabbaz at 11:00 PM EDT/8:00 PM PDT. The program calls for works by Liszt and piano concerti by Mozart and Beethoven. Joining the orchestra are Ian Park and Jeong-hyun Lim who were the Junior Division and Senior Division winners of the Orange County Music & Dance School’s Rising Stars Piano Competition.
If Ponti’s name sounds familiar, it is because his father, Carlo Ponti Sr., was the producer of over 60 feature films. Amongst them was 1960’s Two Women starring his wife, Sophia Loren. The screen legend is the conductor’s mother.
Recently I spoke by phone with Ponti about LAV’s mission, the challenges music education faces and how to move forward in the Covid-era. Below are excerpts from that conversation that have been edited for length and clarity.
What did you see as missing in 2013 when you founded LAV?
I’ve always been a strong advocate of music education. It’s not a secret that it’s always been a challenge for a large school district to fund the arts – they have to fund the basic curriculum. I felt there was a need to create an orchestra as an educational tool to integrate students with professional players. Even in these challenging times, it can promote unity, it can provide discipline and perseverance. The orchestra can be a resource which is all the more needed to mend the fabric of society.
The arts and arts education get little, if any, support from federal and state governments. What is the price paid by society for that lack of support?
In Europe, where you have smaller areas, the government allocates support. In America it is much more difficult because the government must cover 50 little countries. It’s natural in America that arts and arts education have to look for funding from corporations and not the government. It’s very difficult for the government to allocate funds for orchestras. That being said, the government could very much allocate a bit of what they allocate for others things to the arts. I think not allocating more is hindering the American people because it is depriving them of the needed exposure to culture and music education.
You are forced to stream your upcoming concert. Does that give you greater outreach to serve LAV’s purpose?
We’re still fulling our mission in the same capacity, more or less. The silver lining of having to do online concerts is we can expand our audience bandwidth. We are able to go out to an unlimited number of people. People in Europe can see it.
When having to reduce the size of your orchestra to abide by social-distancing requirements, how did you choose the program for this upcoming concert?
We are doing two piano concerti – one by Beethoven, one by Mozart. We need an orchestra of 30-40 players. We’re doing this with 12 players. We’re doing the same programs we had planned and we have three concerts this season. We are going to keep those concerts and dates. Next year’s programs are a little bit bigger in the sense of orchestra requirements. We’ll try to make that work.
Your mother is in a very famous photograph with Jayne Mansfield which I’m sure you know. Is there someone in the conducting/performing world who would be Mansfield for you? Someone whose work you can’t believe, but would love to get a closer look?
That’s a very funny analogy. Just on a side note, in that photo she actually was not looking at you know what of Jayne Mansfield, she was just looking to the side.
There are so many great conductors. For me the one that really I’m most fascinated by is Herbert von Karajan. For me he really epitomizes the ideal conductor. He’s really who I would like to be in a way. He was so wonderful. Aside from being aesthetically very pleasing, what he brought forth as a conductor is so powerful and so compelling. The orchestra he was conducting really imparted such a sound, especially with the strings – this silvery shimmery sound and the articulation he got was so lush. He had such an amazing sense of music. There are a myriad of conductors, but he’s the one that has something special in my heart.
Last year you said that you realized, “life is not about what we create of ourselves, but about the legacy we leave for others.” What legacy did you get from your parents and what would you like your legacy to be, not just for your own children, but for the young musicians in the Los Angeles area?
The legacy I got from both my parents is to really live to try to achieve excellence and always do your best. That was clear in my mother’s work and her dedication to her craft; the enthusiasm in which she embarks on every project. She just finished a film with my brother, Edoardo, her first in ten years. It’s called The Life Ahead. She gives a wonderful performance. That is a testament that she never stops trying to do her best. It was something my father admonished.
Picasso said strive because you will never attain perfection. That striving gives you a sense of purpose. I am always trying to improve myself. That’s really what my brother and I inherited from our parents. That’s the message I try to impart to any young person or musician I work with. Strive toward excellence.
Photos of Carlo Ponti courtesy Los Angeles Virtuosi Orchestra