Salvatore Moltisanti, Artistic Director and Pianist, USA - ITALY
Salvatore Moltisanti, Artistic Director and Pianist, USA - ITALY
IBLA Foundation in New York City
George and Nancy Records, IBLA Honorary Chairs
Lady Dewi Sukarno, IBLA Tokyo Chairwoman
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Madsen, New York Gala Chairs
Mrs. Joan Zumwalt, IBLA Little Rock Chairwoman
Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti, President
IBLA GRAND PRIZE
26th Anniversary
International Competition World Class Winners
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Tuesday May 9, 2017, 7.00 pm
"The IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition, celebrating this
year its 26th Anniversary, has become one of the world’s cultural treasures.
Held each year in early Summer in the magnificent southeastern corner of
Sicily, in the quietly beautiful and charming Baroque city of Ragusa-Ibla,
this competition has proven to be a consistent and world-class showcase for
musical talent of the highest order. The competition’s founder,
Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti, himself a pianist, has created an atmosphere
that encourages openness to any and all forms of music, allowing presentations
of all musical styles as well as instruments (this has included several types
of jazz ensembles, domra virtuosos, accordionists, folk singers and many
others from outside the classical mainstream, as well as instrumental and
vocal performers of standard and contemporary repertoire), and creating a
place where the ideas of wonderfully talented people can be nurtured in
a spirit of international respect.
This event, has we have come to expect, will surely be the best possible
evidence of this success, presenting musicianship of the highest order.
IBLA is the name of the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE ancient Baroque
quarters of Ragusa - Ibla, the southernmost province of Italy in
Sicily. Ragusa and Ibla are two sister cities built on two 300 m.
hills. Ibla is the ancient city and Ragusa is the more modern one. The
Monti Iblei that surround the area take the name from the ancient
Ibla. The Mediterrenean coast line is only 18 minutes away. It overlooks
the island of Malta"
by Jeffrey James, Editor, International Composer
Dear Friends,
With hopes that you are available on Tuesday May 9, 2017 at 7.00 pm, I am writing to request the honor of your presence at the upcoming IBLA Foundation Winners Concert and following Gala Dinner at LeCirque as we honor the extraordinary talent of the IBLA Grand Prize Winners. We look forward with excitement to this 26th Anniversary of the IBLA Foundation and we are elated that this milestone in our incredible journey will coincide with Carnegie Hall’s own 166th Anniversary. Please mark your calendar, and plan to join us for this very special celebration!
In the past quarter century more than 7,000 musicians from all corners of the earth have performed in the piazzas and palazzi of Ragusa-Ibla, Sicily. The entirety of this beautiful Sicilian enclave, known for its baroque architecture and ancient monuments, is currently designated as one of the largest UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The musicians, together with their friends and family, a group of more than 22,000 visitors over the years, spend two weeks immersing themselves in the culture of this city. Young, bright, intelligent and curious, they have tried it all: trips to the beach, visits to neighboring municipalities, eating, shopping, photographing and filming, all while maintaining their rigorous practice and performance schedules, so that during their stay the streets come alive with music.
The IBLA Foundation has presented over 600 winners in first tier venues such as Carnegie Weill Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York, Tokyo Opera City Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, as well as at prestigious universities in the United States, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, and Europe. With the generous support of Joan Zumwalt, Sherman Banks, and Alan Storeygaard, we have also engaged in a very successful outreach program, which has enriched the lives of over 20,000 students in the metropolitan area of Little Rock, Arkansas, while allowing our international community of winners to experience the heartland of America as well as its most important cultural centers.
Winners have often presented on major television programs like the American Pulitzer Prize winner Martin Bernheimer’s series “Living Young Artists” series for MSNBC, or “The Late Show with David Letterman” on CBS.
We would like to acknowledge that the enthusiasm and good will of critics and audiences, although very warmly appreciated, is not enough to enable the Foundation to survive. The Board of the Foundation benefits from the generosity of our family of hardworking volunteers, made up of musicians, doctors, lawyers, professionals in various fields of expertise, who do not hesitate to offer their support and advice to promote the success of our activities.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the IBLA Foundation, I would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all of you who enable us to nurture the careers of young artists, thus ensuring a future enriched with dedication, discipline, hard work and the joys of beautiful music.
With gratitude,
Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti
President
IBLA Foundation
New York City
IBLA GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
