The pianist, singer and composer Clara Ponty's diverse musical background is the source of inspiration for the development of her unique musical body of work. Born in Paris and raised in Los Angeles, Clara was immersed in many musical genres thanks, in large part to her father, world-renowned jazz violinist and composer Jean-Luc Ponty. She began studying violin and piano when she was five, wrote her first piece when she was eight and won her first piano competition at age 11.
The classically-trained pianist (Interlochen Arts Academy, Maryland Conservatory and USC) abandoned competitive performing in her early twenties to focus on writing. Clara's career was officially launched with her 1997 self-titled debut recording for Universal Records. It featured the artist performing original works for solo piano. It was followed in 1999 by "The Embrace" (Universal Records) on which Clara Ponty communicated her depth as a composer, pianist and vocalist with ten new original works. Both recordings met with critical acclaim (People”, "Forbes magazines", Time Out) which revealed her as a soulful artist that creates unique, delicate and emotionally intense compositions.
Her third album entitled “Mirror of Truth” (J.L.P. Productions Inc), co-produced by her father, was released in 2004. This third album fully showed Clara's tremendous power as both composer and pianist and displayed very strong classical elements as well as Jazz and improvisation qualities.
A compilation album entitled ECHOES was released in October 2010 in Europe (C.A.R.E. music group/Eden Records). This new jazz recording of thirteen original compositions is in collaboration with renowned European jazz musicians, Wolfgang Haffner, Dieter ILg and Ernst Stroer including guest artists Sebastien Studnitzky and Nils Wulker. It is produced by Wolfgang Haffner who has since the 1980's been one of the most prolific German jazz musicians working with greats such as Johnny Griffin, Clark Terry, Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, Chaka Khan, Mc Coy Tyner and Joe Pass.
A new vocal album of eleven original works, INTO THE LIGHT, was released in June 2011 in France and Canada and released worldwide Spring 2012 (Harmonia Mundi). This new album is co-produced by Stuart Bruce (Frankie goes to Hollywood, Yes, Loreena Mc Kennitt, Maxime Le Forestier, Kate Bush) and Clara Ponty and is the first to feature Clara mainly as a singer. Guest artists Jean-Luc Ponty, Nigel Kennedy, Vincent Segal and Damien Smitt add their talents to this album. Clara is performing songs that cover a wide range of subjects including her own spiritual path, her view on our modern life, and personal life experiences.
Today, Clara Ponty is that rare artist, whose enticing voice and virtuoso level playing fuses her classical heritage with jazz and pop
rhythms into a seamless stream of captivating sounds.
Speaking about her life as an artist she says, “music for me has always been a much more exact communication than mere words because it allows me to explore a dimension of the soul that I cannot express in ordinary language. Creating music gives me the courage to realize emotions that I might not be able to draw out otherwise, and I can tap into worlds that can transform me and contribute to my evolution as a human being".
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