Arkansas SR 40: TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS OF THE IBLA GRAND PRIZE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION; AND TO COMMEND THE IBLA GRAND PRIZE MUSIC COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL FOR STRENGTHENING CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH MUSICAL OUTREACH.

Bill Text

*ZRC217* 04/27/2026 4:40:31 PM ZRC217
State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 SR 40 3
4
By: Senator C. Penzo 5
6
7
SENATE RESOLUTION 8
TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS OF THE IBLA GRAND PRIZE 9
INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION; AND TO COMMEND THE 10
IBLA GRAND PRIZE MUSIC COMPETITION AND FESTIVAL FOR 11
STRENGTHENING CULTURAL EXCHANGE THROUGH MUSICAL 12
OUTREACH. 13
14
15
Subtitle 16
TO RECOGNIZE THE WINNERS OF THE IBLA 17
GRAND PRIZE INTERNATIONAL MUSIC 18
COMPETITION; AND TO COMMEND THE IBLA 19
GRAND PRIZE MUSIC COMPETITION AND 20
FESTIVAL FOR STRENGTHENING CULTURAL 21
EXCHANGE THROUGH MUSICAL OUTREACH. 22
23
WHEREAS, the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition and 24
Festival is an annual music competition and festival that has taken place 25
each summer in Ragusa Ibla, Sicily, Italy, for thirty-five (35) years; and 26
27
WHEREAS, the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition and 28
Festival was founded by Dr. Salvatore Moltisanti as part of his doctoral 29
thesis and each year attracts talented musicians from across the globe; and 30
31
WHEREAS, winners and participants in the IBLA Grand Prize International 32
Music Competition and Festival travel and perform across the world, across 33
the United States of America, and across Arkansas, and with the final 34
performance each year taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York City; and 35
36

SR40

2 04/27/2026 4:40:31 PM ZRC217
WHEREAS, the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition and 1
Festival and musicians affiliated with the organization have, over the past 2
twenty-five (25) years, conducted music master classes for more than eight 3
thousand (8,000) Arkansas students at elementary, middle, and high schools in 4
cities such as Little Rock, Jacksonville, Maumelle, Lake Village, Forrest 5
City, Batesville, Springdale, Searcy, Harrison, and Hot Springs; and 6
7
WHEREAS, Gianni Burriesci, Maximilian Trebo, Wieslaw Ochwat, and Maciej 8
Zimka, who are winners from the 2025 IBLA Grand Prize International Music 9
Competition, have been exemplifying the highest standards of musical 10
achievement and cultural exchange during their travels and performances 11
across Arkansas as part of the IBLA Grand Prize International Music 12
Competition and Festival; and 13
14
WHEREAS, Gianni Burriesci of Italy, who was a 2025 IBLA Grand Prize 15
International Music Competition winner with highest honors, is sixteen (16) 16
years old and has been playing the violin since the age of three (3); and 17
18
WHEREAS, Maximilian Trebo of Italy, who was a 2025 IBLA Grand Prize 19
International Music Competition winner with high honors, graduated with 20
honors from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Milan, Italy, graduated with a 21
masters degree from the Mozarteum University Salzburg in Salzburg, Austria, 22
and has won more than twenty (20) first prizes at national and international 23
music competitions since he was nine (9) years old; and 24
25
WHEREAS, Wieslaw Ochwat of Poland, who was a 2025 IBLA Grand Prize 26
International Music Competition, graduated with distinction from the 27
Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland, from which he also 28
received his Ph.D. and where he now leads the accordion class at the 29
Department of Woodwind Instruments and Accordion; and 30
31
WHEREAS, Maciej Zimka of Poland, who was a 2025 IBLA Grand Prize Music 32
International Competition winner with honors, is a graduate of the Krzysztof 33
Penderecki Academy of Music in Krakow, Poland, from which he also received 34
his Ph.D., is an active composer who composes works for the accordion and 35
chamber music ensembles, 36

SR40

3 04/27/2026 4:40:31 PM ZRC217
1
NOW THEREFORE, 2
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE 3
STATE OF ARKANSAS, 4
5
THAT the Senate: 6
(1) Extend a warm welcome to Gianni Burriesci, Maximilian Trebo, 7
Wieslaw Ochwat, and Maciej Zimka, congratulate them for their successes as 8
part of the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition and Festival, 9
and recognize them for their achievements and expertise as musicians; and 10
(2) Commend the IBLA Grand Prize International Music Competition 11
and Festival for its continued role in providing exposure to the highest 12
level of musicianship to the people of Arkansas, enriching the communities of 13
Arkansas through musical performances and educational programs, and 14
strengthening international goodwill through musical cultural exchange. 15
16
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT upon adoption of this resolution, appropriate 17
copies be provided to the leadership of the IBLA Foundation, Gianni 18
Burriesci, Maximilian Trebo, Wieslaw Ochwat, and Maciej Zimka by the 19
Secretary of the Senate. 20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36