Competitions

George Roberts Bass Trombone Competition

sponsored by Greg Black Mouthpieces, Rejano Mutes, Cherry Classics, Encore Music Publishers, Cimarron Music Press

For trombonists ages 20 and under (birth date of January 1, 2004 or later)

First Prize – A Greg Black Mouthpiec (stock silver), Rejano Mutes Practice Mute, The One Hundred, gift certificates to Cherry Classics and Cimarron Music Press, Lessons with Professional Trombonists

General Requirements Recording Guidelines

Competition Rules

  • Live piano accompaniment is required.
  • The required repertoire should be recorded as one complete, unedited take, and submitted as a single video file, recorded from a single, uninterrupted camera angle. Accepted file formats include: MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, M2V
  • No editing of either video or audio is allowed.
  • No written signs, name tags or other written material is to be visible in the video.
  • Both performers should be clearly visible in the video throughout the performance, with the trombonist as the focal point. In the event both performers do fit in the frame, due to social distancing or use of pre-recorded piano accompaniment, the trombonist must still be completely visible throughout the performance.
  • The submitted file must not contain any identifying information. The video file should be named: “RobertsEntry.mov” (.mp4, etc.)
  • Past winners of the George Roberts Bass Trombone Competition are not eligible to enter the 2025 Roberts competition.

Repertoire Requirements

Preliminary Round:
Walter Hartley – Sonata Breve (Tenuto)

Final Round:
Steven Verhelst – On Your Own Now

Submission Instructions

Completed applications must be submitted prior to the deadline and meet ITA membership and other requirements outlined on this page. Application fees (see below) will be charged at the time of application (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club are accepted.)

Apply Now

Past Winners

Year
Winner
School

  • 2007

    Thomas Knapp

    Texas Christian University

  • 2008

    Steve Warren

    Oklahoma State University

  • 2009

    Zachary James

    University of Southern Mississippi

  • 2010

    Caleb Ketcham

    Oklahoma State University

  • 2011

    Derek Lyp

    Western Michigan University

  • 2012

    Freddy Oulette

    University of North Texas

  • 2013

    Riley Giampaolo

    Oak Ridge High School

  • 2014

    Joshua Cirtina

    Royal Northern College of Music, United Kingdom

  • 2015

    Daniel Vaitkus

    Boston University

  • 2016

    Joaquim Rocha

    Escola Superior de Musica e Artes de Espectáculo

  • 2017

    Giuseppe Fu

    Leman Manhattan Preparatory School/Juilliard Pre-College

  • 2018

    Changwon Park

    New England Conservatory

  • 2019

    Riley McGinn

    University of California, Los Angeles

  • 2020

    Ivan Cheung (Co-Winner)

    Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts

  • 2020

    Joao Cunha (Co-Winner)

    Zurich University of the Arts

  • 2020

    Pelle van Esch (Co-Winner)

    Royal Conservatory of the Hague

  • 2021

    Chance Gompert

    Indiana University

  • 2022

    Wojciech Gilka

    The Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław

  • 2023

    Dylan Halliday

    Oklahoma State University

  • 2024

    Malena Lorenson

    Conservatoire de Musique de Montréal