Announcing the International Trumpet Guild Emerging Artist Fellowship

In its mission to support the next generation of trumpet professionals, the International Trumpet Guild (ITG) announces a new Emerging Artist Fellowship (EAF) for the 2026–2027 academic year.

ITG EAF is $10,000 support for a one-year residency at a university from which the Fellow has not previously earned any academic credit, or other nonprofit musical organization, where a residency would nourish the Fellow’s goals. This fellowship will be similar to an internship, apprenticeship, or postdoctoral residency. This fellowship is aimed to be a bridge between completing the student’s terminal degree and full-time placement in the professional field. ITG welcomes proposals for all types of projects— It is up to the Fellow and Host to cast the vision on how this Fellowship can best serve their goals. Review of applications will begin on March 1, 2026. For more information, or to apply, please contact at [email protected]

Please read all of the rules and instructions below prior to submitting your application.

The Fellow will:

Complete a Project Proposal which describes the goals and scope of their planned activities with the host and ITG (see below, Application Requirements)
Reach out to a prospective host and discuss a possible collaborative relationship
Reach out to ITG leadership about possible areas of volunteer service opportunities to participate in during the Fellowship
Observe, audit, and/or participate in academic and musical opportunities at the host institution, as planned in the Fellow’s project proposal
Attend ITG Board of Directors meetings as a non-voting observer
Complete a Fellowship progress report twice per year (Dec 15 and May 1) that is submitted to the Guild.

The Host will:

Mentor the Fellow in the areas of their Project Proposal
Place the student in artistic experiences consistent with the Fellow’s project proposal (see below, Application Requirements)
Facilitate activities such as, but not limited to: observing lessons, ensembles, and academic courses, etc.
Provide Fellow with potential contacts in their region for performance, teaching, and/or service opportunities.

ITG will:

Provide a ($10,000) honorarium to the Fellow
Place the Fellow in early career service and leadership positions within the Guild, such as on committees, assisting with the Conference, writing for the Journal, etc.
Appoint the fellow as a non-voting observer at Board of Directors meetings
Provide coverage of the Fellow’s project on the ITG Website and ITG social media

Why ITG created this new program:

A means of ITG supporting the next generation in general, and the ITG Emerging Professionals in particular
Fostering a community of support among seasoned professionals and emerging professionals who are not their students (“Rising tides lift all ships”)
A method of proactively involving young professionals into ITG service positions
A means of exposing emerging artists to diverse viewpoints and artistic elements they may have not received during their academic degrees (jazz, arts administration, conducting, chamber music, Baroque trumpet, composition, etc.)
There are not enough jobs for the number of highly qualified young professionals, and many students spend years “in limbo” in between graduate school and professional placement. This Fellowship program puts them to work within ITG and plugs them into a positive mentor outside of their previous academic training
Meets all elements of ITG’s mission statement, “to promote communications among trumpet players around the world and to improve the artistic level of performance, teaching and literature associated with the trumpet.”

Fellow’s Application Requirements:

To apply, please send all of the following in clearly labeled PDF files to the Fellowship Selection Committee, at [email protected]

CV
At list of at least three high-quality YouTube video links
A Project Proposal explaining which Host/location the applicant seeks to visit during their fellowship, why that placement and/or teacher would enhance their professional development, as well as the goals/objectives of the one-year fellowship residency
Letter of support from Host

Eligibility Requirements:

Fellow must hold at least a master’s degree (ABD or DMA preferred)
Prospective fellow must complete a background check (Processed by ITG Treasurer)
Students of current members of the ITG Board of Directors are not eligible to apply for the 2026–2027 application cycle

Members of the ITG Board of Directors are eligible to host a fellow at their university, which may naturally connect Fellows with additional ITG volunteer and service opportunities.