ITA Solo and Ensemble Competitions (International Trombone Association)

Name: Tools 4 Music
Address: US
Price range: Free

ITA

USADeadline: 12/8/2025

The International Trombone Association runs 14 solo and ensemble competitions for trombonists, with finalists receiving full tuition waivers to attend the 2026 International Trombone Festival in Riga, Latvia. The ITA also presents seven annual awards recognizing outstanding contributions to the trombone community.

Award Amount

Full tuition waiver to ITF + featured performance USD

Scholarship Type

merit-based

Eligibility Criteria

trombone-students
performance
ensemble
ita-members

Instruments

trombonebrass

The International Trombone Association (ITA) runs 14 solo and ensemble competitions for trombonists, with finalists receiving full tuition waivers to attend the 2026 International Trombone Festival in Riga, Latvia, July 29 to August 1, 2026. Founded in 1972, the ITA is the world's largest community of trombonists and promotes trombone-related activities across the world through competitions, awards, and its ITA Journal.

How ITA Competitions Work

Applications for the 2026 ITA Solo and Ensemble Competitions were accepted from October 6 through December 8, 2025. Three finalists in each of 12 solo and ensemble categories are selected from a preliminary recorded round by international judging panels. Finalists then compete in a live final round at the International Trombone Festival.

Solo and Ensemble Competition Categories

The 14 competition categories cover a wide range of trombone performance:

Fontana Competition
Johnson Competition
Smith Competition
Marsteller Competition
Wiehe Competition
Gagliardi Competition
ITA Alto Competition
Roberts Competition
Yaxley Competition
Van Haney Competition
Kleinhammer Competition
Quartet Competition
Emory Remington Trombone Ensemble (ensemble category, winner and one runner-up selected from recordings)
Melba Liston Trombone Ensemble (ensemble category, winner and one runner-up selected from recordings)

What Finalists Receive

Solo and ensemble finalists (12 categories): Full tuition waiver to attend the 2026 International Trombone Festival in Riga, Latvia
Remington and Liston ensemble winners: Featured performance at the International Trombone Festival, plus full tuition waivers for ensemble members and teacher or conductor
Housing, food, and travel: NOT covered by the ITA or ITF. Finalists must fund their own travel and lodging.
Confirmation deadline: Finalists must confirm participation by March 15, 2026

ITA Annual Awards

The ITA presents seven awards recognizing individuals, organizations, and orchestras:

ITA Award: Recognizes elite creative and artistic output in performance, composition, arranging, teaching, conducting, research, or service. One award given annually.
Neill Humfeld Excellence in Teaching Award: Recognizes outstanding teaching contributions
Kenneth Hanlon Award: Presented for specific contributions
Legacy Circle Award: Presented from time to time
Lifetime Achievement Award: Presented from time to time
Orchestra Recognition Award: Presented from time to time
President's Award: Presented for specific contributions

Nominations for 2026 awards are requested from the ITA membership.

Real-World Example

A 22-year-old trombonist pursuing a bachelor's degree could apply for the 2026 ITA Solo Competitions during the October 6 to December 8, 2025 application window. He submits video recordings through the Acceptd platform for the Marsteller Competition, one of the 12 solo categories. If selected as one of three finalists by the international judging panel, he receives a full tuition waiver to attend the 2026 International Trombone Festival in Riga, Latvia, July 29 to August 1, 2026. He pays for his own airfare and lodging but attends all festival events for free. If he wins the final round, he gains recognition from the international trombone community, which can lead to audition invitations and teaching opportunities.

A university trombone quartet could submit a recording for the Quartet Competition. If selected as finalists, all four members receive full tuition waivers to the ITF. A trombone ensemble director could apply for the Remington Competition. If selected as the winner, the ensemble receives a featured performance at the ITF, and all members plus the conductor get full tuition waivers.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

The ITA competitions give trombonists a platform to gain international recognition without paying festival registration fees. The full tuition waiver to the International Trombone Festival is worth several hundred dollars and grants access to masterclasses, concerts, and networking with professional trombonists from around the world.

If you play trombone, choose the competition category that matches your age and experience level. Review the specific repertoire requirements for each category on the ITA website. Submit your preliminary recording through Acceptd before the December 8 deadline. Budget for your own travel and lodging to Riga, Latvia, since the ITA does not cover these expenses.

For the annual awards, nominate teachers or colleagues who have made significant contributions to the trombone community. The ITA Award and Neill Humfeld Award are presented annually, while other awards are given periodically.

Eligibility Criteria (plain terms)

Solo and Ensemble Competitions (12 categories): You must be an ITA member. Each of the 12 solo and ensemble categories (Fontana, Johnson, Smith, Marsteller, Wiehe, Gagliardi, ITA Alto, Roberts, Yaxley, Van Haney, Kleinhammer, and Quartet) has its own age and experience requirements. Past winners of a specific category are not eligible to enter that same category again. Three finalists in each category are selected from a preliminary recorded round by international judging panels.
Remington and Liston Ensemble Competitions: A winner and one runner-up are selected from submitted recordings. No live final round. Winning ensembles must perform at the International Trombone Festival. All members and the teacher or conductor receive full tuition waivers.
ITA Annual Awards: Nominations are requested from the ITA membership. The ITA Award and Neill Humfeld Excellence in Teaching Award are presented annually. Other awards (Kenneth Hanlon Award, Legacy Circle Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Orchestra Recognition Award, President's Award) are presented from time to time.
All competitions: Applicants must submit recordings through the Acceptd platform. No editing of video or audio is allowed. Applicants cannot post pictures, video, or audio from recording sessions online until finalists are formally announced.

Deadlines

2026 Solo and Ensemble Competitions: Applications were accepted October 6 through December 8, 2025. (The 2026 cycle has closed.)
Finalist confirmation: March 15, 2026 (finalists must confirm participation by this date)
2026 International Trombone Festival: July 29 to August 1, 2026 in Riga, Latvia
2027 competitions: Applications will open in fall 2026. Check the ITA website for specific dates. Final rounds will be held during the 2027 International Trombone Festival.

Past Recipients

The ITA publishes past winners for each competition category on its website.

Robert Marsteller Tenor Trombone Competition winners (selected):

2025: Han Yun Liang
2024: Beanie Hyunbin Lee
2023: Gracie Potter
2022: Niels Jacobs
2021: Phillip Williams
2020: Jonathan Salcedo (Co-Winner), Polina Tarasenko (Co-Winner), Joao Teixeira (Co-Winner)
2019: Pavlo Titiaiev
2018: Robyn Smith (New England Conservatory)
2017: Tolga Akman
2016: Brian Wendel
2015: Daniel Tellez Gutierrez
2012: Csaba Bencze
2009: Keith Dyrda
2007: Achilleas Liarmakopoulos

ITA Alto Trombone Competition winners (selected):

2026: Beanie Hyunbin Lee (Los Angeles Brass Academy)
2025: Romain Nussbaumer (Zurcher Hochschule der Kunste)
2024: Jaehan Kim (New England Conservatory)
2023: Juan Cancer Navarro (Royal Conservatoire of The Hague)
2022: Askil Okkenhaug (Norwegian Academy of Music)
2021: Tim Ouwejan (Conservatory of Amsterdam)
2019: Evan Williams (University of Texas at Austin)
2017: Pavlo Titiaiev (Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music, Poland)

ITA Trombone Quartet Competition winners (selected):

2019: Regent Trombones (Huw Evans, Benny Vernon, Jamie Tweed, Josh Cirtina)
2018: The eNq (Northwestern University Bienen School of Music)

Melba Liston Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition winners (selected):

2020: Frost Jazz Trombone Ensemble (University of Miami)
2019: MSU Jazz Trombone Ensemble (Michael Dease, director)
2018: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Jazz Trombones (Conrad Herwig and Ed Neumeister, directors)
2017: University of Illinois Jazz Trombone Ensemble (Jim Pugh, director)
2016: The Waffle Stompers (The Juilliard School)
2015: The U-Tubes (University of North Texas)
2014: MSU Jazz Trombones (Michael Dease, leader)