"Ponti brings an exhilarating energy to center stage.  It's an electrifying swagger - empowering and enabling him to pull music from light to darkness and back again." Courier News, Chicago

        "A bold yet sensitive conductor, Ponti highlights Brahms' interplay between the instruments, expertly balancing the sections - emphasizing the delightful winds and fine trombones while holding in check ESO's formidable string section - to illustrate the multiple layers that make this work so sublime." Daily Herald, Chicago

        "Ponti is regarded as a rising star, someone gaining international acclaim and attention."       Courier News, Chicago

        "Raffaele Ponti, whose passionate approach to music has captured international attention."    Courier News, Chicago