Wednesday May 13, 2015 at 7.00 pm

The IBLA Foundation in New York City

Baroness Mariuccia Zerilli Marimo’, Chairwoman
Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti, President

Presents

The IBLA GRAND PRIZE International Competition Winners
at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday May 13, 2015 at 7.00 pm
featuring World Class Performers from Europe, Russia, Asia and the U.S.

"The IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition, celebrating this
year its 24th 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.

Baroness Maria Zerilli Marimo, Chairwoman of the IBLA Foundation, offers
every year the opportunity to experience the extraordinary talent of these
musicians at Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimo in events preceding and following
the annual Gala concert that this year will take place on May 14 at
Carnegie Weill Recital Hall.

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

LIST OF PERFORMERS

Francesca Adamo, Soprano - ITALY

Fabiana Biasini, Piano - ITALY

Alessandro Blanco, Guitar - ITALY

Giuseppe Blanco, Piano/Jazz - ITALY

Nanke Flach, Piano - THE NETHERLANDS

Luca Giovannini, Cello - ITALY

Miwa Hoyano, Piano - JAPAN

Rafal Luc, Accordian - POLAND

Cho Hyun Park, Piano - SOUTH KOREA

Elsa Roux Chamoux, Soprano -  FRANCE

Annette Scholten,  Lame Sonore - THE NETHERLANDS

Giuseppe Sinacori, Guitar - ITALY

Donatella Sollima, Piano - ITALY

Anna Rutkowka-Schock, Piano - POLAND

Andrea Timpanaro, Violin - ITALY

Audrey Yamamoto, Piano - JAPAN

PERFORMERS PHOTOGRAPHS

PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES

Francesca Adamo, Soprano - ITALY

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient, Francesca Adamo Sollima was born in Palermo  Sicily from a family of musicians. She began her studies with her Grandfather Eliodoro (pianist and composer) that was her first piano teacher. She degreed in vocal chamber music and opera repertoire at the Conservatoire in Palermo and she still studies Composition with Marco Betta, Eliodoro Sollima's best pupil. Francesca took part in masterclasses about baroque and contemporary music with Leonardo De Lisi, Barbara Lazotti, Massimiliano Damerini, Sonia Prina, Gemma Bertagnolli and last year she attended to a Master in Contemporary Music in Lugano Conservatoire (Switzerland) with Luisa Castellani. Francesca plays in duo with her mother Donatella, pianist, since 2010 and together they have performed for important musical associations in Italy and Europe. As soloist the young soprano debuted at the Italian Premiere of "Intersong II" by the Sicilian composer, cellist and family member Giovanni Sollima and also at the World Premiere of the opera "Con un soffio di vento" by Valentina Casesa, and she created, in 2013, "Wagner a Palermo", a concert written and performed by herself about the german composer. Today Francesca continues studying technique with Mezzo Provvidenza Tortorella and repertoire with german Soprano Brigitte Wohlfahrt. She is also a composer in fact she usually performs her own works; she also wrote three small books about musical life in Sicily between XIX and XX Centuries published from Edizioni Biblioteca del Cenide in 2012. She's now working on her first discographic work called IMMAGINI DI DONNA entirely dedicated to female composers of history of music from Medieval to Contemporary.

Fabiana Biasini, Piano - ITALY

IBLA GRAND PRIZE TOP PRIZE Winner Fabiana Biasini, a native of Rome, has been praised for her "immediate, fresh musicality and superior technical ability." After graduating from Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and winning the Ibla Grand Prize, she moved to New York to study with Byron Janis at the Manhattan School of Music, where she graduated with the highest grades. Her solo career has included collaborations with orchestras such as the Bolshoi Opera, the Minsk Orchestra, the Santa Cecilia Orchestra, the Manhattan Virtuosi, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, the Kiev State Symphony Orchestra, the Miskolc Symphony Orchestra. She has been the pianist in residence of the "Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma". Her complete recordings of Khachaturian’s works for Piano and Violin were awarded five stars from the German magazine Phonoforum, and  her CD featuring the world premieres of several Josef Hofmann works was awarded five stars in addition to the title of “Best Polish music CD” from the Classical Music Guide. Her recordings garnered the highest possible ranking from the magazine Musica, and are broadcasted regularly on national radio programs.

Fabiana is an FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) artist who, in addition to her performances, regularly gives benefit concerts to raise funds for, among other organizations, an Italian NGO operating in Cameroon, and an international NGO working in refugee camps. She regularly appears in concerts that favor humanitarian projects, such as the "September Concert", "Licht der Hoffnung" and "Butterfly and Parrots" - to raise awareness about anti-personnel mines. In addition, she co-founded the Manaus Opera Festival in Brazil and has presented and hosted radio programs on musical and cultural themes for the National Italia Radio (RAI Radio 1).

Alessandro Blanco, Guitar and Giuseppe Sinacori, Guitar - ITALY

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musicians, The guitar duo Blanco Sinacori is a union between classical guitarists Alessandro Blanco and Giuseppe Sinacori, who melt together their extraordinary guitar techniques into a modern and innovative sound. Mentors of their musical and artistic journey are Giovanni Puddu and Antonello Farulli. The duo, after winning many international contests, started soon to perform in prestigious events in Italy and in a short time were able to spread their musical activity all over Europe. Their ability to reinterpret a classical repertoire in a very personal and unique way has inspired many composers to the writing of pieces to be played by two guitars. From 2013 they’ve been attending a chamber section at the International Piano Academy "Incontri col Maestro" of Imola under the influence of Antonello Farulli. This collaboration gave birth to a new discographic project produced by Almendra Music that gathers Opera Symphonies transcribed by the Duo and mixed with musical interludes written for the two guitarists by the composer Maurizio Pisati. Alessandro and Giuseppe play guitars that were carefully hand-made by Sicilian luthier Vincenzo Candela."

Giuseppe Blanco, Piano/Jazz - ITALY

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient Giuseppe Blanco born in 1995 is a jazz pianist from Scicli, a small town in the southeast corner  of Sicily. Since October 2014 he has been a student at the Università Civica of Jazz of Milan, one of the most famous university in Italy. There he studies with Enrico Intra, Franco Cerri and Mario Rusca. In 2013 he attended Valery Piassetsky's international masterclass; where he was selected between 210 musicians in the world to attend the Berklee Summer School at Umbria Jazz 2013. During this festival he studied with teachers from Berklee College of Music Mark Shilansky, Fernando Huergo and Mark White. He had a very irregular course of study: he began to study classical music with Giovanni Cultrera and after with Francesco Mirabella and Vincenzo Pavone. Then later  he started the study of jazz in February 2013 with Alberto Alibrandi and Seby Burgio. He also attended at the International Masterclass of Barry Harris in Rome in 2014. Lions Club International gave him a "Young Talent Special Scholarship" and he won for four time the "Eccellenze Iblee, Talent in Music" prize; he also won the first prize at "Giuseppe Ierna International competition" and many others. His favourite jazz pianists include Oscar Peterson, Michel Petrucciani and Keith Jarrett. He also will play during EXPO 2015 in Milan with his quintet.

Luca Giovannini, Cello - ITALY

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Outstanding Musician recipient, Luca Giovannini  is 14 years old and began his musical education at the age of 8, with Luca Simoncini at “Conservatorio Venezze” in Rovigo Italy. Since he was very young, Luca was the winner of many awards, including “Riviera Etrusca” (Piombino, Italy, 2011) and “Crescendo” (Florence, Italy, 2011, 2012, 2013); here, in 2012 and 2013, he was also awarded Best Cello Player of the competition. He was invited to play in two important television programs on RAI1 and RAI2. In 2012 he received the First Prize as the best cello player at “X Concorso Città di Riccione” and “IV Concorso Salieri” (Legnago); in 2013 he was the absolute winner at  “Adopts a Musician” (Forlì) and “Cittá di Piove di Sacco VI edition”. In 2014 he won the competitions “Città di Giussano” and “T.I.M. (Tourni International de la Musique) XVI edition” in Paris. In the meanwhile he was awarded a scholarship by “Teatro alla Scala” (Milano) and got honorary awards and special mention as outstanding musician at “John R. Susino Memorial Award William Modica and Concetta Giordanella Modica Memorial” at “Concorso Ibla Grand Prize”. In the same year he was awarded the “Upbeat Award” at the International competition “Antonio Janigro” (Kroazia). Luca has performed at important festivals such as "Verdi Talenti" (Parma) and has been invited to play as a soloist at Palazzo Cavagnis (Venice), Sale Apollinee della Fenice (Venice), Villa Houck (Switzerland) . He has performed as soloist with the chamber orchestra “I Virtuosi Italiani” at Sala Maffeiana (Verona, 2014).Luca plays on a cello by A. Ciciliati made in Italy

Miwa Hoyano, Piano - JAPAN

IBLA GRAND PRIZE TOP PRIZE Winner Miwa Hoyano was born in Saitama, Japan  and began her career as a pianist at the age of four. After completing her undergraduate course for piano performance in Tokyo College of Music, she was admitted to the prestigious Soloklasse of Prof. Bernd Goetzke at the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media (Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover). Miwa performed extensively throughout Japan and in Europe, in e.g. Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Norway, both as a soloist and as chamber musician. She’s a regular guest at music festivals such as the Ticino Musica Music festival in Switzerland, the Musica Riva Festival in Italy, the NDR Musiktag Hannover, BMW Welt Klassik & Lounge in the Steinway Lounge Munich in Germany, the Osaka Classic Festival, and the Classic Festival Hiroshima in Japan. Miwa won various competitions, among others the Ibla Grand Prize International Music Competition in Sicily in 2014. As a result of this prize, she will make her debut performance in Carnegie Hall in New York in May 2015 as part of her debut tour through the United States of America. Other prizes include the first prize in the 11th International Music Competition Luigi Cerritelli in 2014, the Camilo Togni International Music Competition in 2008, the Valsesia International Music Competition in Monterosa in 2007, a bronze medal in the PTNA Piano Competition in Tokyo( Japan)in 2007 and the Martinu Prize at the Grieg Piano Competition in Norway in 2009. She has studied at the Accademia Mezzogiorno Musicale in Taranto with Prof. Bruno Mezzena.

Her previous professors were among others Emiko Harimoto, Hitoko Kurasawa and Sumiko Mikimoto. Miwa attended master classes with top pianists such as Aldo Ciccolini, Pascal Rogé, Jacques Rouvier, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Oxana Yablonskaya. Currently, she is attached to the University of Music, Theater and Media in Hannover as the accompanying pianist for the woodwinds & horn section. Besides, being active as chamber musicians.Future concert engagements in Japan, Netherlands, Italy and the United States, as well as performances with maestro Eiji Oue (Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra).

Rafal Luc, Accordion - POLAND

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient, Rafal Luc studied classical accordion at the Royal Academy of Music and made his London debut in the Purcell Room 2009. Since then he has performed at venues including the Barbican, King’s Place, Wigmore Hall, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, and the Carnegie Hall, New York. He has worked with ensembles including BBC SO, London Sinfonietta, Rambert Dance Company, and with many contemporary composers creating new repertoire for classical accordion. Rafal has received major scholarships and awards. He is a keen chamber musician, and in 2011 he recorded a CD with works by Bach and Piazzolla with cellist Hau-Eun Kim for Universal Music Korea. Rafal plays a new Pigini Sirius Millenium accordion, made on special order and purchased with the help of the Ministry of Culture in Poland and Royal Philharmonic Society.

Cho Hyun Park, Piano - SOUTH KOREA / USA

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient, Pianist Cho-hyun Park holds a Doctoral and Master’s degree in piano performance from The University of Texas at Austin, and Bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University, School of Music. She was awarded with many renowned scholarships from both schools. While and after her degree program, she has appeared widely as a soloist, both collaborative artist and ensemble pianist in South Korea, Texas, and Southern California. She has served UT undergraduate Opera, UT Symphony, Wind ensemble, Ballet Austin, and Austria America Mozart Academy, Academy of Music and Art in Special Education. Her dedication and enthusiasm towards piano music shined on her recent win of The Most Distinguished Award at the 2014 IBLA Grand Prize Music Competition and the 1st prize at the Bartok-Kabalevsky-Prokofiev International Piano Competition along with Bartok and Prokofiev special awards in Italy, July 2014. Her teachers include George Katz, Gregory Allen, Gye-Sook Suh, Hae-Sun Paik, Ki-Won Lee and In-Il Kim.

Elsa Roux Chamoux, Soprano -  FRANCE

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient Elsa Roux is a 21 year old mezzo-soprano from Grenoble, France. She has studied singing for eight years with a french private teacher, first for passion and then as to become a professional singer. Since 2014, she has been the pupil of Susan McCulloch, senior professor at the Guildhall school of Music in London. She was finalist in the Grand Opera de Bordeaux competition. She has won first prize in Val Tidone in Italy, and she has obtained most distinguished mention and young talent special mention in IBLA Grand Prize 2014. She has attended to many Master class in Paris, Abingdon Enghland, and Wroclaw Poland. Besides singing, she is also a student in University of Grenoble and is about to obtain a diploma in management, and she is also the goalkeeper of Team France of Roller Hockey, with which she is world champion 2012 and vice world champion 2014.

Anna Rutkowka-Schock, Piano - POLAND

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Anna Rutkowska-Schock was a finalist in the European Chopin Piano Competition in Darmstadt, Germany in 1992 as a piano student of Prof. Helena Furmanowicz-Kurzyska. She was awarded a scholarship in the USA (1997-98) by French-American pianist, Dr. Madeleine Forte. Anna Rutkowska-Schock graduated with a Master’s degree from the Academy of Music in Wroclaw (where she presently works), under the tutelage of Prof. Grzegorz Kurzyski. She further mastered her collaborative piano skills under Prof. Anne Epperson as a scholarship recipient at the Summer Academy of Music in Santa Barbara, California, in 2006. In 2003 she received the Best Collaborative Pianist award in the IBLA GRAND PRIZE International Music Competition in Sicily. She has been invited to work as the staff pianist and jury member for the IBLA Grand Prize Competition every year since, and in the same capacity for international music competitions in Rome, Peru, Slovakia and Poland. Anna Rutkowska-Schock received a PhD in 2007 and a post-doctoral degree in 2013. She has recorded 4 CDs with French chamber music. She has given solo and chamber concerts in Poland, the U.S.A. (including several performances at Carnegie Hall), Indonesia, Peru, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Great Britain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Russia

Annette Scholten,  Lame Sonore - THE NETHERLANDS

Nanke Flach, Piano - THE NETHERLANDS

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musicians recipients, Annette Scholten and Nanke Flach, both from The Netherlands, form a duo from 2009. Before getting fascinated by the lame sonore, Annette graduated as a cellist from Groningen conservatory, and qualified in Teaching and Performing with an extra certificate for chamber music. Nanke studied piano at the conservatories of Groningen and Utrecht, where she obtained a Master’s degree with special attention to chamber music and accompaniment. Nanke is also a laureate of the Princess Christina Competition for performing chamber music. From 2011 Annette started to play the lame sonore and fell in love with its sound. This unusual instrument, related to the musical saw, was developed by Jacques Keller in 1948. At first, it was meant to be used as precentor in the Catholic church. A few composers, a.o. Khaciaturian and Enescu, wrote music for the new instrument but after that, the instrument fell somewhat into obscurity. Unfortunately, very little music is written specifically for the instrument. Maybe in the future, more composers might be interested in writing new repertoire for the lame sonore! After presenting the lame sonore at the Ibla Grand Prize 2014, the duo played many concerts in The Netherlands. Besides performing as a duo, Annette played as a soloist with the orchestra Filharmonie Noord, which arranged music for Annette. Together they gave the first concert in Europe for lame sonore, accompanied by symphonic orchestra. The Noordpool Orchestra recently included a melody for the lame sonore, to be performed by Annette. In January 2015, the duo is invited by Dutch Radio4 to perform at the programme ‘Spiegelzaal’, live broadcasted from the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

Andrea Timpanaro, Violin - ITALY

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient, Andrea Timpanaro was born in Catania, Italy, in 1991. He began his studies very early with his parents, both musicians, and soon started playing the violin. He graduated from the “Istituto Musicale Vincenzo Bellini” in Catania at age nineteen where he studied under M.° Vito Imperato. In 2000 he won the 1st Prize at the 8th “G. Campochiaro” National Competition in Pedara (Catania) and, since then, he was rewarded several prizes in other violin competitions. In 2008, under the supervision of M.° Adorno, he founded the “Quartetto Leggìo” beginning an appreciated performing activity. As soloist, as well as member of numerous Chamber Music ensembles, he gave concerts in Italy, Germany and Ukraine. In 2012 he began his studies at the University of Music and Theatre "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" in Leipzig guided by Kathrin ten Hagen. In the same year he performed as a soloist with the "Symphony Orchestra Academy" of Chernihiv directed by Mikola Sukach, playing Prokofiev’s 1st violin concerto. At the same time of such intense activity he attended prestigious master classes under internationally renowned teachers like Felice Cusano, Rocco Filippini, Sergey Girshenko, Roberto Gonzalez, David Romano and Kathrin ten Hagen, improving his solo virtuoso technique and enlarging his repertoire. He plays a Falk Peters violin.

Audrey Yamamoto, Piano - JAPAN

IBLA GRAND PRIZE Most Distinguished Musician recipient, Audrey studied at the TOHO Gakuen High School of Music and the TOHO Gakuen School of Music. She finished Master’s degree in the HMTM Hannover. Currently studies in the Soloklasse at the HMTM Hannover. She won Prizes at numerous Competitions. For example, she got Prize in 13th and 15th Piano Audition by the League of Piano Education in Japan. She got Encouragement Prize as Youngest Pianist in the 8th Pianist Camp in Kamisaibara,  received Prizes of the Excellent with Honor every year in 9th,10th and 11th Pianist Camp in Kamisaibara. She was one of Finalists in 3rd International Piano Competition Maria Herrero, got 4th Prize in 2nd International Piano Competition “Ischia” 3rd Prize and Scriabin Special Mention in 23rd IBLA Grand Prize. She participated many International Master Classes. For example in 2014, she was selected one of 8 pianists and got Diploma for Beethoven Class by Wilhelm Kempff  in Positano. She has many concerts also, in 2006, she performed in Kioi hall in Japan as selected one of the Excellent Pianists in the Graduate Concert of TOHO Gakuen High School of Music. In 2010, she performed in Hamarikyu hall in Japan as selected one of the Excellent Pianists in the Graduate Concert of TOHO Gakuen School of Music. She studied with Yasuo Watanabe, William Ransom, Keiko Takeuchi and Bernd Goetzke.

Anna Rutkowska Schock, Piano - POLAND

Annette Scholten,  Lame Sonore - THE NETHERLANDS

Sergei Rachmaninov Vocalise, op. 34 nr. 14   4’ 30”
           Do not sing to me, beautiful maiden Op. 4 nr. 4 4 55”

Ballade No.1 Op.23 9’

***

April 24, 2015

For Immediate Release

Contact: Jeffrey James Arts Consulting

516-586-3433 or jamesarts@att.net

The Ibla Foundation Presents Their International Competition Winners at Carnegie Hall on May 13, Featuring World Class Performers from Europe and Asia

What: Ibla Foundation Competition Winners in Concert

When: Wednesday, May 13 – 7:00 PM

Where: Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, 154 West 57^th Street in Manhattan

URL: http://www.ibla.org

The Ibla Foundation of New York and Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti will present their International Grand Prize Competition Winners in concert on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 - 7 PM at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, 154 West 57^th Street in Manhattan.

Dr. Moltisanti, internationally recognized as one of the foremost Italian pianists of his generation, presents 2014’s Ibla competition winners from around the world making their Carnegie Hall Debut.

Foundation Prize Winners who will perform include:

Francesca Adamo, Soprano - Italy
Alessandro Blanco, Guitar - Italy
Giuseppe Blanco, Piano/Jazz - Italy
Nanke Flach, Piano - The Netherlands
Luca Giovannini, Cello - Italy 
Miwa Hoyano, Piano - Japan
Cho Hyun Park, Piano - South Korea 
Elsa Roux Chamoux, Soprano - France
Annette Scholten, Lame Sonore - The Netherlands
Giuseppe Sinacori, Guitar - Italy
Anna Rutkowka-Schock, Piano - Poland
Andrea Timpanaro, Violin - Italy
Audrey Yamamoto, Piano - Japan

Selections will include music by Bach, Verdi, Puccini, Liszt, Chopin, Ginastera, Prokofiev, Bartok and other classical masters, as well as works written or improvised by the pianist/composers on the program. More program information at http://www.ibla.org/.

Tickets for the May 13 concert may be purchased by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, online at http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2015/5/13/0700/PM/IBLA-Foundation-Winners/  or by visiting the Carnegie Hall Box Office. For press tickets or more information, please contact the Ibla Foundation at 212-387-0111 or visit them online at http://www.ibla.org.

The Ibla Foundation in New York City organizes an annual music competition for pianists, singers, instrumentalists and composers which takes place during each July in Ragusa Ibla, in the southeastern corner of Sicily. Winners are presented the following year in such venues as Carnegie Hall in New York, Tokyo Opera City Hall and other prestigious venues in Canada, Europe and the U.S. The 2015 Competition is scheduled to take place from July 6 to 16 in the magnificent baroque quarters of Ragusa Ibla. Visit the Foundation online at http://www.ibla.org/.

For press inquires, contact Jeffrey James Arts Consulting at 516-586-3433 or jamesarts@att.net.