International Trombone Association

What International Trombone Association does

The International Trombone Association (ITA), founded in 1972 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a non-profit membership association dedicated to the advancement of trombone teaching, performance, and literature. It operates as the self-described world's largest community of trombonists, with approximately 4,000 members across 74 countries, and reaches over 1,000,000 unique website visitors annually. The organization serves professional trombonists, students, educators, and amateur players, structured around four primary member segments with a horizontal segmentation approach.

ITA's core products center on a portfolio of publications, events, competitions, and digital resources. The flagship is the ITA Journal, a quarterly 80-page full-color magazine described as the definitive publication of its kind for trombone professionals, complemented by Digital Archives, a Video Library, a monthly Newsletter, Literature Reviews, and a Diversity Composer Database showcasing underrepresented composers. Event offerings include the annual International Trombone Festival (the largest annual trombone event globally), International Trombone Week, Solo & Ensemble and Composition competitions, and partner-hosted seminars such as the Pokorny Low Brass Seminar and Seraph Brass Seminar. The underlying technology is a WordPress-based website platform (trombone.net) that serves as the primary digital hub for membership signup, event registration, journal access, and community resources.

ITA's business model is a diversified non-profit revenue stack. Primary income comes from recurring annual membership subscriptions (with standard, student, and Trombone Studio group tiers), supplemented by transactional event registration fees (e.g., $650 Pokorny Seminar, $1,100 Seraph Brass Seminar, €120 Lieksa competition), journal advertising, and membership database licensing to trombone-related businesses. The association is governed by an elected Board of Advisors and Officers, with no parent company or external ownership, and is expanding its product and partnership ecosystem through collaborations with pBone, Clarion Insurance, and the Brass Bulletin Digital Archive.

Name

International Trombone Association

Legal name

International Trombone Association

Website

https://trombone.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Trombone Association is a 501(c)-style non-profit founded in 1972 that serves as the world's largest community of trombonists. It offers 4,000 members across 74 countries publications (ITA Journal), events (International Trombone Festival), competitions, and digital resources, monetized via membership dues, event fees, and advertising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Music Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Music association membership
• Trombone community
• Professional music publications
• Music festival organization
• Music education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees providing access to ITA Journal (quarterly publication), digital archives, video library, member discounts, and competition participation
2. Event Registration Fees: Fees for International Trombone Festival and various seminars, workshops, and competitions (e.g., $650 Pokorny Seminar, $1100 Seraph Brass Seminar)
3. Journal Advertising: Advertising opportunities in ITA Journal publication
4. Membership Database Licensing: ITA membership database available for purchase to trombone-related businesses and educational institutions for mailing purposes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The International Trombone Association is a non-profit membership association that serves the global trombone community through the quarterly ITA Journal publication, the annual International Trombone Festival, solo/ensemble and composition competitions, International Trombone Week, and supporting digital resources including Digital Archives, Video Library, Diversity Composer Database, and Trombone Vacancies job board. Members access resources, networking, and discounted benefits such as instrument insurance in exchange for annual membership dues.

Product overview

The International Trombone Association operates as a membership organization offering a portfolio of publications, events, competitions, and digital resources for the global trombone community. The core offerings include the quarterly ITA Journal (the leading trombone publication), the annual International Trombone Festival (the world's largest trombone event), ITA Solo & Ensemble and Composition Competitions, and International Trombone Week. Supporting resources include the Digital Archives, Video Library, Diversity Composer Database, Literature Reviews, Trombone Vacancies, and Virtual Green Room. Membership benefits include a 40% discount on musical instrument insurance through Clarion Insurance, access to the Brass Bulletin Digital Archive, and the Membership Assistance Program for supporting member access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ITA Journal Quarterly full-color 80-page magazine serving as the definitive and only publication of its kind for trombone professionals and enthusiasts, featuring scholarly articles, trombone news, job announcements, and literature and record reviews.
• International Trombone Festival (ITF) Multi-day annual festival gathering artists, teachers, students, professionals, industry leaders, and hobbyists to celebrate and explore trombone playing, teaching, and manufacturing.
• ITA Solo & Ensemble Competitions Annual competition events for solo and ensemble performances open to trombonists of all levels, with finals held during the International Trombone Festival.
• ITA Composition Competition Annual composition contest inviting composers to submit original trombone quartet and/or octet pieces (typically 6-8 minutes), with winning compositions made available for download to ITA members.
• ITA Newsletter Free monthly newsletter featuring trombone news and events, a Listening Corner, practice tips, interviews, and content delivered via email to subscribers.
• International Trombone Week Annual celebration of trombone playing held in April, open to all skill levels, featuring events, workshops, and community activities worldwide.
• ITA Membership Annual membership providing access to the ITA Journal, digital archives, video library, member discounts, competition eligibility, and community networking across 74 countries. Includes tier options such as standard, student, and trombone studio memberships.
• Brass Bulletin Digital Archive Subscription Digitized collection of historical Brass Bulletin publications spanning three decades, offering members heavily discounted access to important international forum content for performers, educators, researchers, and instrument makers.
• Pokorny Low Brass Seminar Partner-hosted low brass seminar at Northern Illinois University featuring faculty from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and other major institutions, with $650 tuition per participant.
• Seraph Brass Seminar One-week intensive chamber music experience held at Pearl Arts Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana ($1,100 tuition), with additional discount for pre-formed chamber groups.
• 5th International Lieksa Brass Week Trombone Competition International trombone competition (Olavi Lampinen in memoriam), held July 23-30, 2026 in Lieksa, Finland, with €120 registration fee.
• Trombone Studio Membership Group membership category for university, college, high school, or private teacher trombone studios, providing 1-Year Student E-memberships at reduced rates for entire studio rosters.
• 50th Anniversary Commission (Kevin Day Composition) Consortium-commissioned 8-part trombone choir composition by Kevin Day, premiered by the Lift Every Voice Trombone Choir at ITF, commissioned for ITA's 50th anniversary in 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• Website reaches over 1,000,000 unique visitors annually

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Brass Bulletin Digital ArchiveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2026ITA partnered with Brass Bulletin Digital Archive to provide members with heavily discounted access to one of the most important historical collections in the brass world, spanning over three decades of international forum content for performers, educators, researchers, and instrument makers.
• Kevin Day (Composer)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202250th anniversary consortium commission led by ITA for a new 8-part trombone choir composition by Kevin Day, premiered by the Lift Every Voice Trombone Choir at ITF. Maximum fee of $6,000 with 20 commissioner spots at $150 each.
• Clarion InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerITA has partnered with Clarion Insurance to offer ITA members a 40% discount on instrument insurance, providing valuable member benefit for protecting musical instruments.
• pBoneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive partnership offering free 6-month trial ITA membership for all pBone users, providing access to ITA Journal archives, video content, and other member resources. The trial is e-membership only with certain exclusions.
• East Meets West TrombonesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic streaming collaboration project conducted by Jay Friedman, accessible to ITA members through the website timeline feature.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Trumpet Guild: The International Trumpet Guild is the closest functional analog to ITA: a long-standing, membership-based nonprofit professional association that serves trumpet players globally through a peer-reviewed journal, annual conference, competitions, and student/youth programs. Its structure mirrors ITA's journal-plus-festival-plus-competitions model almost one-to-one.
• International Horn Society: The International Horn Society serves French horn players worldwide via a quarterly journal, symposium/annual workshop, competitions, and a multi-tiered membership program. It is the structural sibling of ITA within the brass family and competes for the same pool of professional, educator, and student brass musicians.
• International Tuba Euphonium Association: The International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) supports low brass tuba and euphonium players through a peer-reviewed journal, annual conference, commissions, and competitions. It is the most direct peer within the broader low-brass ecosystem that ITA's seminars (e.g., Pokorny Low Brass Seminar) intersect with.
• International Clarinet Association: The International Clarinet Association (ICA) publishes the Clarinet journal, hosts ClarinetFest, and runs competitions and research grants. It operates on the same nonprofit membership-association model as ITA and targets a comparable audience of professional, student, and amateur single-instrument musicians.
• National Flute Association: The National Flute Association (NFA) is a membership-based nonprofit serving flute players through a quarterly journal, an annual convention, competitions, and educational resources. Its scale and program mix (publication, festival, competitions, DEI committees) closely parallel ITA's operating model.
• International Double Reed Society: The International Double Reed Society (IDRS) supports oboe and bassoon players worldwide through the Double Reed journal, an annual conference, competitions, and educational outreach. It is another direct instrument-specific association peer with a similar membership, publication, and event-driven operating model.
• International Society of Bassists: The International Society of Bassists (ISB) serves double bass and bass guitar players through a peer-reviewed journal, biennial convention, competitions, and commissions. It is another single-instrument nonprofit association peer with the same publication-plus-gathering operating model.

Broad incumbents

• American Federation of Musicians: The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) is a much larger, broader labor union representing instrumentalists across all instruments in the U.S. and Canada. While it spans all instruments rather than specializing in trombone, it overlaps with ITA on advocacy, professional development, and insurance-related benefits for working musicians.
• National Association for Music Education: NAfME is the largest U.S.-based music education association serving music teachers and students across all instruments. It overlaps with ITA's educator and student segments but operates at a much broader K–16 music education scope rather than a single-instrument focus.

Others

• International Trombone Festival (organizer unit): ITA's own ITF is referenced here because comparable instrument festivals (e.g., ClarinetFest, NFA Convention, ITG Conference) define the annual anchor events of each peer association. Use of ITF as a benchmark indicates the type of large-scale annual event each peer association runs as its flagship convening.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/internationaltromboneassociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/inttrbassociation
• Xx.com/IntTrb
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-trombone-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Trombone Association