The IBLA Grande Prize International Competition

"The sunbaked island of Sicily, the largest and historically richest in the Mediterranean, is the scene of the annual IBLA GRAND PRIZE, a piano competition held in a hall buried among the clusters of 17th and 18th century stone buildings that crowd the little threads of streets. The rocky town of only 80,000 lies just a few miles from where Ionian and Mediterranean meet at Sicily's southern most tip. Hearing piano-playing in this kind of setting is amazing. It is like the opening of an ornate and ancient casket only to find it stocked with glittering gems."

                        -Gordon Sparber, Winston-Salem Journal, NC, USA

Now in its 23rd year, the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition
has become one of the world’s cultural treasures. Held each summer in Ragusa-Ibla, the quietly beautiful baroque quarter of the Sicilian provincial capital of Ragusa, the competition has consistently proven to be a 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 all forms of music, allowing presentations of all musical styles and instruments including 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. The IBLA event thus is a place where the ideas of wonderfully talented people can be nurtured in a spirit of respect.

Every year the Baroness Maria Zerilli-Marimò, Chairwoman of the IBLA Foundation, offers people the opportunity to experience the extraordinary talent of these musicians at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò of NYU with a se-ries of events leading up to and following the annual Gala concert. This year the concerts will take place on May 14 at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall and at Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimo'.  As we have come to expect, the event will present musicians of the highest order.

Ibla is the name of an ancient baroque enclave, the hilltop UNESCO World Heritage site that sits below more modern center of Ragusa. The city and itssurrounding Monti Iblei are but 18 minutes away from the Mediterranean coast.
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Three days of performances at Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimo'

May 12, 2014

(06:00 PM )
The first day of performances at Casa Italiana will feature pianist Cong Cong, performing music by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, before his Carnegie Hall debut.

May 13, 2014

(06:00 PM )
The second of three days of performances at Casa Italiana will feature French harpist in the world, Claire Iselin, before her Carnegia Hall debut.

May 16, 2014

(06:00 PM )
The last of three days of performances at Casa Italiana will feature cellist Christoph Croise, soon after his Carnegie Debut.

List of performers this year

LIST OF PERFORMERS

Anujin Altangerel, Piano / MONGOLIA
Vito Amato - Percussion / ITALY
Vladimir Anisimov, Saxaphone / RUSSIA
Natalia Anisimova, Piano / RUSSIA
Kris Becker, Piano / USA
Sergio Cali, Percussion / ITALY
Cong Cong Chai, Piano / HONG KONG
Christophe Croise, Cello / SWITZERLAND
Antonino Errera, Percussion / ITALY
Michal Gajda, Accordion / POLAND
Anzel Gerber, Cello / SOUTH AFRICA
Robert Guzik, Guitar / POLAND
Kai Han, Piano / USA
Claire Iselin, Harp / FRANCE
Matei Ioachimescu, Flute / ROMANIA
Ariunzaya Jargalsaikhan, Piano / MONGOLIA
Ian Miller, Piano / USA
Alexander Panfilov, Piano / RUSSIA
Alessandro Russo, Piano / USA
Ben Schoeman, Piano / SOUTH AFRICA
Gabriella Sultana, Piano / MALTA
Raika Tetsu, Violin / JAPAN
Ana Topalovic, Cello / SERBIA
Adam Woch, Guitar / POLAND