Purpose

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes people—living or deceased—who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to the trombone profession over a long career. 5 Categories of lifetime achievement may include but are not limited to teaching, performance, research, composition, and service, and may recognize the accomplishments of those whose careers predate the founding of the ITA in 1972.

Selection Criteria

Candidates for the ITA Lifetime Achievement Award shall demonstrate or shall have demonstrated:

  • A lifelong commitment to the trombone and/or trombone-related activities.
  • A career that has reflected a commitment to excellence and achievement

Selection Process

  • ITA members may submit nominations for the awards. Each nomination should include a short (under 250 words) biography for each nominee.
  • Nominations are closed by the end of the day on January 1 each year.
  •  Nominations remain active for three years after which time, a candidate may be renominated for consideration for an award.
  • Members of the Standing Committee on Awards may not submit nominations for awards.
  • If a member of the Committee on Awards is nominated for an award, that Committee member must either resign from the Committee, depart from the Committee for one year, or withdraw their nomination from consideration.
  • Once all nominations are received, the Standing Committee on Awards will convene either in person or virtually to discuss the nominations (new nominations as well as those that carry over from previous years) for each award.
  • The Committee will, after consideration of the nominees, arrive at consensus and prepare a ballot.
  • A ballot shall be prepared by the Chair of the Committee on Awards with (if technical assistance is required) the assistance of the Chair of the Committee on Governance and/or the ITA Executive Director.
  • The Committee on Awards is to include the submitted biography for each nominee who is on the ballot. These biographies will be included with the ballot.
  • On February 1 of each year, a ballot with the candidates for each award shall be sent to the ITA Executive Board.
  • The ITA Executive Board will discuss the candidates and vote on the candidates. A winning candidate must receive 100% of the votes cast. More than one candidate may win the award in a given year. The awarding of the Legacy Circle Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, and the ITA Orchestra Recognition Award will be made only as deemed appropriate, without regard to a prescribed number of annual nominations.
  • Award winners will be notified by the ITA President and award winners will be publicly announced after all winners have been notified and no later than by February 15 of each year.

Nominations may be sent to the Chair of the ITA’s Standing Committee on Awards at awards@trombone.net.

Previous Recipients

  • 2007
    Glen Dodson
  • 2007
    Heinz Fadle
  • 2007
    Urbie Green
  • 2007
    Robert Isele
  • 2007
    Edward Kleinhammer
  • 2007
    Albert Mangelsdorff
  • 2007
    Robert Marsteller
  • 2007
    Buddy Morrow
  • 2007
    Dick Nash
  • 2007
    Allen Ostrander
  • 2007
    George Roberts
  • 2007
    Milt Stevens
  • 2007
    Denis Wick
  • 2007
    Larry Wiehe
  • 2009
    Willie Colon
  • 2010
    Phil Wilson
  • 2010
    Stuart Dempster
  • 2011
    John Marcellus
  • 2011
    Dave Maser
  • 2012
    Anatoly Skobelov
  • 2013
    Gasper Licciardone
  • 2014
    Frank Rosolino
  • 2014
    Ron Barron
  • 2016
    Per Brevig
  • 2017
    John Kenny
  • 2018
    Jiggs Whigham
  • 2019
    Irvin L Wagner
  • 2020
    James (Jimmy) Pankow
  • 2021
    Trevor Herbert
  • 2022
    Betty Glover
  • 2022
    Locksley “Slide” Hampton
  • 2023
    Vivian Lee
  • 2023
    Michael Powell
  • 2024
    Douglas Yeo
  • 2024
    Benny Sluchin
  • 2025
    Rubén Carughi
  • 2025
    Rebecca Cherian
  • 2025
    Eugene Watts