Competitions
Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition
sponsored by XO Brass
For trombonists ages 22 and under (birth date of January 1, 2002 or later)
First Prize – XO 1632 or XO 1634 Tenor Trombone
Nick Finzer , New York City based jazz trombonist and composer, invites trombonists to join this competition:
Competition Rules
- Live collaboration with rhythm section is required.
- Required repertoire should be uploaded as two separate video files. The video must be shot from a single, uninterrupted camera angle. Accepted file formats include: MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, AVI, WMV, M4V, FLV, WEBM, M2V
- No written signs, name tags or other written material is to be visible in the video.
- All performers should be continuously visible in the submitted video, with the trombonist as the focal point.
- Individual microphone placements for the trombonist and each rhythm section member are allowed.
- No edits of either the audio or video may be made within each track.
- The submitted files must not contain any identifying information. The video file should be named: “FontanaTrack1.mp4” and “FontanaTrack2.mp4” (.mov, etc.)
- An audible count-off is allowed for this competition, but any other spoken dialogue will violate the spoken dialogue rule and are grounds for disqualification. Caution members of the ensemble to avoid talking until the take has been completed. A good rule of thumb would be to hold silence for 5 seconds after any take, allowing for a clean recording.
- Recordings must be made with a live rhythm section (minimum 2 members) in the key of the entrant’s choice. (see exception above)
- Choruses must be improvised and not read.
- Entrants must perform exclusively on the slide trombone (e.g. no valve trombone, bass trumpet, etc.)
- It is the performer’s choice to play one or two choruses of the melody on each selection. The maximum number of choruses, including the melody, must not be exceeded.
- Applicants are discouraged from including rhythm section solos on preliminary round recordings; any such solos will count against the maximum number of choruses allowed.
- Recordings taken from a Jazz band performance are not allowed.
- Past winners of the Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition are not eligible in the 2025 Fontana competition.
Repertoire Requirements
Preliminary Round Repertoire:
- Six to eight (6-8) choruses of a Blues (including the melody.)
- Three to four (3-4) choruses of one of the following tunes: “A Beautiful Friendship,” “Emily,” “If I only had a Brain,” “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” “It Might as Well be Spring,” or “I Thought About You.”
Final Round Repertoire:
- Blues
- Medium- or Up-tempo tune from the list above
- Ballad of the applicant’s choice
*It is the performer’s choice to play one or two choruses of the melody on each selection. For the preliminary round, the maximum number of choruses, including the melody, must not be exceeded.
**Finalists will be required to present their final round program within a time limit and may deviate from the prescribed number of choruses required in the preliminary round recording.
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.)
Past Winners
Year
Winner
School
-
2007
Joe McDonough
Temple University
-
2008
Robbie Harvey
Guildhall School of Music
-
2009
Eric Bowman
Western Michigan University
-
2010
Eric Miller
Manhattan School of Music
-
2011
Javier Nero
Juilliard School of Music
-
2012
Ido Meshulam
Berklee College of Music
-
2013
Kyle Johnson
Texas State University
-
2014
Nicholas Lombardelli
The University of the Arts
-
2015
Matt Hettwer
California State University
-
2016
Jack Courtright
Eastman School of Music
-
2017
Thomas Voss
Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide
-
2018
David Kapral
The University of Texas at Austin
-
2019
David Mosko
Rutgers University
-
2020
Jered Byford (Co-Winner)
University of Miami
-
2020
Joe Giordano (Co-Winner)
Manhattan School of Music
-
2020
Jack Kotze (Co-Winner)
Manhattan School of Music
-
2021
Maarten Combrink
Conservatory of Amsterdam
-
2022
Hugo Caldeira
Manhattan School of Music
-
2023
Luciano Soriano
Westlake High School
-
2024
Nanami Haruta
Michigan State University