Purpose

The ITA Award recognizes an elite level of creative and artistic output in areas such as trombone performance, composition, arranging, teaching, conducting, research, and/or service. One award is given each year.

Selection Criteria

Candidates for the ITA Award shall:

  • Have made important and outstanding contributions to the trombone community
  • Have demonstrated an exceptional level of creative and artistic output
  • Have demonstrated outstanding dedication to his/her profession
  • Have demonstrated a high level of commitment or service to the ITA

Selection Process

Nominations for the ITA Award are submitted by the ITA’s members. The ITA Award is awarded by a vote of the ITA Officers, Council of Past Presidents, and Board of Advisors.

A one-page letter of nomination that details why a member believes a nominee should be honored with one of the Association’s awards, and a bio of the nominee, may be sent to the Chair of the ITA’s Standing Committee on Awards at: awards@trombone.net

Previous Recipients

  • 1972
    Henry Romersa
    Founder, International Trombone Workshop
  • 1973
    Lewis Van Haney*
    Former Professor, Indiana University
  • 1974
    Buddy Baker
    Former Professor, University of Northern Colorado
  • 1975
    Robert King*
    Owner and Founder, Robert King Music Company
  • 1976
    Gordon Pulis*
    Former Principal Trombonist, New York Philharmonic
  • 1977
    John Coffey*
    Former Bass Trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • 1978
    Stuart Dempster
    Former Professor, University of Washington
  • 1979
    Thomas Beversdorf*
    Former Professor, Indiana University
  • 1980
    Thomas Everett
    Professor, Harvard University
  • 1981
    Allen Ostrander*
    Former Bass Trombonist, New York Philharmonic
  • 1982
    George Roberts*
    Los Angeles based Freelance Trombonist
  • 1983
    Leon Brown*
    Former Professor, North Texas State University
  • 1984
    Neill Humfeld*
    Former Professor, East Texas State University
  • 1985
    Urbie Green*
    Jazz Artist, New York City
  • 1986
    Edward Kleinhammer*
    Former Bass Trombonist, Chicago Symphony
  • 1987
    William Cramer*
    Former Professor, Florida State University
  • 1988
    J. J. Johnson*
    Legendary Jazz Artist
  • 1989
    Denis Wick
    Former Principal Trombonist, London Symphony Orchestra
  • 1990
    Frank Crisafulli*
    Former Trombonist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  • 1991
    Christian Lindberg
    Virtuoso Solo Trombonist, Stockholm, Sweden
  • 1992
    Juliusz Pietrachowicz
    Former Principal Trombonist, Warsaw Philharmonic
  • 1993
    Larry Wiehe* (posthumously)*
    Former Trombone Soloist, US Navy Band and US Air Force Band
  • 1994
    Robert Isele*
    Former Trombone Soloist, US Marine Band and Trombonist, National Symphony Orchestra
  • 1995
    Vern Kagarice*
    Professor, University of North Texas
  • 1996
    Carsten Svanberg
    Professor, Musikhochschule, Graz, Austria
  • 1997
    Irvin Wagner*
    Professor, University of Oklahoma
  • 1998
    Carl Fontana*
    Legendary Jazz Artist, Las Vegas
  • 1999
    John Marcellus*
    Professor, Eastman School of Music
  • 2000
    Heinz Fadle*
    Professor, Detmold Hochschule for Musik, Germany
  • 2001
    Phil Wilson
    Professor, Berklee College of Music
  • 2002
    Joseph Alessi
    Principal Trombonist, New York Philharmonic
  • 2003
    Ben van Dijk
    Bass Trombonist, Rotterdam Philharmonic
  • 2004
    Jay Friedman
    Principal Trombonist, Chicago Symphony
  • 2005
    Ron Barron
    Former Principal Trombonist, Boston Symphony
  • 2006
    Don Lusher*
    British Jazz Trombone Artist
  • 2007
    Michel Becquet
    French Solo Trombonist & Professor, Conservatoire de Lyon
  • 2008
    Dick Nash
    Los Angeles Recording Artist
  • 2009
    Steve Wolfinbarger
    Professor, Western Michigan University
  • 2010
    Gustav Hoena
    Professor, Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Hungary
  • 2011
    Ralph Sauer
    Former Principal Trombonist, Los Angeles Philharmonic
  • 2012
    Per Brevig
    Former Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, New York
  • 2013
    Ian Bousfield
    British Trombone Soloist, Professor Hochschule Bern, former principal trombone London Symphony Orchestra and Vienna Philharmonic.
  • 2014
    Douglas Yeo
    Former Professor, Arizona State University. Former bass trombonist, Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • 2015
    Bart van Lier
    Former Principal Trombone, Metropole Orkest, the Netherlands
  • 2016
    David Taylor
    Bass Trombone, New York City
  • 2017
    Wycliffe Gordon
    International Jazz artist
  • 2018
    Alain Trudel
    International Trombone Soloist
  • 2019
    Michael Mulcahy
    Chicago Symphony Orchestra
  • 2020
    Megumi Kanda
    Principal Trombone, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra,
  • 2021
    Charles Vernon
    Bass Trombone, Chicago Symphony Orchestra,
  • 2022
    Carol Jarvis
    Trombone soloist, London, U.K.
  • 2023
    Jörgen van Rijen
    Principal Trombone, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam
  • 2024
    John Fedchock
    New York Jazz artist
  • 2025
    Don Lucas
    Associate Professor Boston University School of Music