ISB Scholarships and Competitions (International Society of Bassists)

ISB

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The International Society of Bassists offers a $10,000 Jane Little Scholarship for female double bass majors entering college, plus biennial performance, composition, and research competitions with prizes up to $5,000. Founded by Gary Karr in 1967, the ISB serves nearly 3,000 members in over 40 countries.

Award Amount

$500 - $10,000 USD

Scholarship Type

merit-based

Eligibility Criteria

bass-students
double-bass-students
performance
research
composition
female-students-jane-little

Instruments

bassdouble-bassstrings

The International Society of Bassists (ISB) offers a $10,000 Jane Little Scholarship for female double bass majors entering college as freshmen, plus biennial performance, composition, and research competitions with prizes up to $5,000. Founded by double bass virtuoso Gary Karr in 1967, the ISB has nearly 3,000 members in over 40 countries and publishes the triannual magazine Bass World.

How ISB Scholarships and Competitions Work

The ISB runs four main funding programs: the Jane Little Scholarship, performance competitions, composition competitions, and research competitions. Performance and composition competitions are held biennially at the ISB Convention, while the Jane Little Scholarship and research competition run annually or on their own cycles.

Jane Little Scholarship

Established in 2022 with support from an anonymous donor. Given annually to a female double bass major entering college as a freshman.

Award: $10,000 USD
Eligibility: Female double bass players entering their freshman year of college
Named after: Jane Little, former member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and one of the longest-serving professional orchestra musicians in the world
2026 recipient: Marfa Baratava of Wroclaw, Poland, accepted to study at San Francisco Conservatory, Eastman, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and University of Denver
Selection: Chaired by Tom Knific, with a scholarship committee reviewing musical achievement, character, statements, and references

Performance Competitions (Biennial)

Held during the ISB Convention across eight divisions. The 2025 competition was held at Florida State University. The next convention is scheduled for 2027.

Solo Division: Gary Karr Prize of $5,000 (first), $2,500 (second), $1,000 (third), plus $500 for best performance of the required commissioned piece
Jazz Division: Scott LaFaro Prize of $5,000
Orchestra Division: Scott Haigh Prize of $2,500, plus an expenses-paid week with the Houston Symphony
Youth Solo (ages 15-18): $2,500 (first), $1,000 (second), $500 (third)
Youth Jazz (ages 15-18): $500 (third)
Youth Orchestra (ages 15-18): $2,500 (first), $500 (third)
Age 14 and Under: $500 (first), $250 (second), $100 (third)
Age 10 and Under: $500 (first), $250 (second), $100 (third)

Composition Competition

Biennial competition with four divisions, each receiving $1,000 from The Robert Black Foundation.

Solo Division: $1,000
Bass Ensemble Division: $1,000
Chamber Ensemble Division: $1,000
Bass with Media Division: $1,000

Research Competition (2026)

Biennial competition for previously unpublished papers relevant to the double bass.

Grand Prize: $1,000 in each of two divisions (Professional and Student)
Topics: Historical musicology, classical or jazz performance practice, pedagogy, lutherie, iconography, biography, analysis
Deadline: August 1, 2026 (anonymous online entries)
Winners announced: On or shortly after September 1, 2026
Publication: Winning papers published in the Online Journal of Bass Research

Real-World Example

A 17-year-old female double bass player accepted to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music could apply for the Jane Little Scholarship in 2026. If selected, she receives $10,000 toward her freshman year tuition. At the San Francisco Conservatory, annual tuition exceeds $50,000, so the scholarship covers roughly 20% of her first-year costs. She would also gain recognition from the ISB community, which can lead to performance opportunities at future conventions.

A 25-year-old doctoral student researching historical bass pedagogy could submit an unpublished paper to the 2026 Research Competition by August 1, 2026. If selected as the Professional Division grand prize winner, he receives $1,000, presents his research at the next ISB Convention, and gets published in the Online Journal of Bass Research.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

The Jane Little Scholarship is one of the largest single awards available to double bass players at the college entry level. At $10,000, it can cover a substantial portion of tuition at a state university or reduce the financial burden at a private conservatory. The performance competitions offer up to $5,000 in the solo and jazz divisions, which can fund a year of private lessons or instrument maintenance.

If you are a female double bass player entering college, apply for the Jane Little Scholarship. Prepare a strong application with references from your teacher and evidence of your musical achievements. For the research competition, submit your paper anonymously by August 1, 2026. For performance competitions, check the ISB website for the next convention cycle (2027) and start preparing repertoire at least 12 months in advance.

Eligibility Criteria (plain terms)

Jane Little Scholarship: You must be a female double bass player entering your freshman year of college. The award is given annually based on musical achievement, character, statements, and references. The scholarship committee is chaired by Tom Knific.
Performance Competitions (Solo, Jazz, Orchestra divisions): Open to double bass players. Divisions include Solo (Gary Karr Prize), Jazz (Scott LaFaro Prize), Orchestra (Scott Haigh Prize), Youth Solo/Jazz/Orchestra (ages 15-18), Age 14 and Under, and Age 10 and Under. Held biennially at the ISB Convention. The next convention is scheduled for 2027.
Composition Competition: Open to composers of double bass music. Four divisions: Solo, Bass Ensemble, Chamber Ensemble, and Bass with Media. Each division awards $1,000 from The Robert Black Foundation. Held biennially.
Research Competition: Open to researchers submitting previously unpublished papers relevant to the double bass. Topics include historical musicology, classical or jazz performance practice, pedagogy, lutherie, iconography, biography, and analysis. Two divisions: Professional and Student. Entries are submitted anonymously.

Deadlines

Jane Little Scholarship: Applications are reviewed annually. The 2026 recipient was announced in May 2026. Check the ISB website for the next application cycle deadline.
Research Competition (2026): August 1, 2026 (anonymous online entries). Winners announced on or shortly after September 1, 2026.
Performance and Composition Competitions: Next cycle at the 2027 ISB Convention. Check the ISB website for specific application dates.

Past Recipients

The ISB publishes past recipients of the Jane Little Scholarship on its website.

Jane Little Scholarship recipients:

2026: Marfa Baratava (Wroclaw, Poland). Accepted to study at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and University of Denver's Lamont School of Music. Honorable mentions: Margaret Lynch, Lila Tasdemir, Mia Bayardo.
2025: Jayden Im (Ann Arbor, Michigan). Honor graduate from Washtenaw Technical Middle College. Member of the Concordia Symphony Orchestra.
2024: Maxine Gimbel (Oak Park, Illinois). Accepted by numerous schools to study double bass performance.
2023: Maggie Carter (Portland, Oregon). Student of Jordan Anderson and Braizahn Jones. Principal bass of the Portland Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. Accepted to study at the Curtis Institute of Music. Won the 2022 Portland Youth Philharmonic Concerto Competition and was a soloist with the Oregon Symphony.
2022: Jamie Park (Cleveland, Ohio). Student of Tracy Rowell at the Cleveland Institute of Music's college preparatory program. Member of the National Youth Orchestra of the USA.

The Jane Little Scholarship was established in 2022 with support from an anonymous donor. It honors Jane Little, former member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, who was recognized by Guinness World Records in 2016 for the longest tenure with a single orchestra (71 seasons).