A multi-instrumentalist, Ponticelli won the 1994 U.S. National Mountain Dulcimer Championship and continues to perform solo and with a group. He has played both banjo and guitar with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. Ponticelli has collaborated in Chicago with Arabic, Irish, bluegrass, Gospel, Gypsy, Hungarian, Romanian, Spanish Flamenco and many other traditional folk musicians. Ponticelli has had the honor of performing at Chicago’s Millennium Park on its opening night as well as at every major museum in Chicago.
Ponticelli is the 2009 recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci award for outstanding achievement in performing arts from Order Sons of Italy in America and holds a B.M. in Jazz Studies from DePaul University. Ponticelli has been to Cordoba, Spain (1994) to study with the great flamenco guitarists Rafael Riqueni and Manolo Sanlucar, New Mexico to study with Chuscales and Pedro Cortes and has had the great flamenco singer and guitarist Pansequito join his band for two years. He has performed at the Iridium in New York City where Les Paul invited Alfonso to play as a special guest with his trio.
Ponticelli shares his education and love of music by teaching workshops at many festivals, and over 20 years at the Midwest Gypsy Swing Fest in Madison, Wisconsin.
He introduced Gypsy jazz to Chicago in the 90s, when he began teaching a weekly Django-style class at the renowned Old Town School of Folk Music, where he taught for over a decade.
Ponticelli has shared his music at many prestigious festivals, including the Django Reinhardt festival in Samois, France, DjangoFest Northwest, Gypsy Jazz fests in New York City, Denver, CO., Pasadena and LA,. CA and extensively throughout the Midwest.
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