Historical Timeline

In 1967, Ralph Strouf resigned from the University of Denver for a new position at the new Metropolitan State College in Denver. That summer, Ramon Kireilis, having just finished his doctorate at the University of Michigan, was invited to interview for the open position during the 1967 National Clarinet Clinic. The DU School of Music administration wanted their prospective clarinet professor to know about this successful national clinic so it could be continued in coming years.

First annual National Clarinet Competition is held, open to high school students. This competition is eventually expanded to its current format, a separate high school and young artist competition, the latter including competitors up to age 27.

At the 1973 National Clarinet Clinic Ramon gathered clinic participants to form what was to be known as the International Clarinet Society (I.C.S.), with a mission statement, officers, committees, and an official quarterly journal, The Clarinet. Bylaws were written and adopted and the Articles of Incorporation were officially filed on August 15, 1975. The Society’s mission statement has evolved into the following:

“The International Clarinet Association is a community of clarinetists and clarinet enthusiasts that supports projects that will benefit clarinet performance; provides opportunities for the exchange of ideas, materials, and information among its members; fosters the composition, publication, recording, and distribution of music for the clarinet; encourages the research and manufacture of a more definitive clarinet; avoids commercialism in any form while encouraging communication and cooperation among clarinetists and the music industry; and encourages and promotes the performance and teaching of a wide variety of repertoire for the clarinet.

To these ends, the association is dedicated to fostering communication and fellowship of clarinetists on a worldwide basis through publishing a quarterly scholarly journal, The Clarinet, producing an annual clarinet festival, ClarinetFest®, supporting a research library with materials available to all members, and promoting a variety of other endeavors related to the clarinet and clarinet playing.”

FIRST OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY

Ramon Kireilis was the first President of the new society. Quoting from The Clarinet, Vol. 1, No. 1, “It should be noted that although Kireilis, director of the Clinic, was elected president of the Society, the latter is a completely autonomous and independent group. The presence of Kireilis in the Society will be of great value to the Society, and it is to be hoped that the Society will in its turn be advantageous to the Clinic.” From 1974 on, the Society was invited to hold its annual business meeting during the Clinic. In other words, Kireilis organized the Clinic each summer at the University of Denver and the Society held its annual business meeting at the Clinic. The late Lee Gibson (1915-2013), Kireilis’ mentor from North Texas State University, volunteered to be the editor of the Society’s publication, The Clarinet. Lee became President in 1978 when Kireilis wanted to devote his full energies as director of what had now become, the International Clarinet Clinic.

Other officers included Leon Russianoff of the Juilliard School in New York as Vice President, Robert Schott of Kansas State College of Pittsburg, Kansas as Secretary/Treasurer and Research Chair. H. James Schoepflin of Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho was Publisher. Regional Chairmen for the United States and National Chairmen for eastern and western Canada, Australia, Austria, England, and Mexico were named. A Vacancy Service was established for aspiring university teachers and symphony positions under the directorship of Harold Ashenfelter of Antioch College. In 1974 and continuing until 1977, Jack Snavely of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee coordinated the Vacancy Service.

On August 15, 1974, the articles of incorporation were officially filed for the ICS by Harry “Bud” Rubin (1928-2018), an attorney and crucial early volunteer for the organization. Bud served the ICA as it’s pro-bono lawyer until just prior to his passing in 2018.

The first official ICS annual meeting is held in Denver, Colorado, during the annual National Clarinet Clinic. The name of the conference has evolved over time from the National Clarinet Clinic, International Clarinet Clinic, International Clarinet Congress, International Clarinet Conference, and ClarFest to its current name: ClarinetFest®.

Reports of each conference with numerous pictures are published in The Clarinet, usually in the November-December or December issue of each volume. At those early Denver clinics, Frank Stachow of Lebanon Valley College, Pennsylvania, recorded all performances on reel-to-reel tape. Early performers and presenters at Denver included Leon Russianoff, Michele Zukovsky, and Hans Rudolf Stalder.

The Burnett C. Tuthill Research Library was the original basis of the I.C.S. Research Library, with Cecil Gold, Director. It was housed at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho in 1974. The library was moved to the University of Akron, Ohio in 1976, then to the University of Maryland Special Collections of Music at the Hornbake Library in 1979. Norman Heim began his service as Director in 1980. Keith Koons followed Norm as our library liaison until the fall of 2006. John Cipolla (2006-2008), Jane Ellsworth (2008-2012), and Douglas Moore (currently) have since taken on this important responsibility.

The late Lee Gibson (1915-2013), Ramon Kireilis’ mentor from North Texas State University, volunteered to be the editor of the Society’s publication, The Clarinet. Lee became President in 1978 when Kireilis wanted to devote his full energies as director of what had now become, the International Clarinet Clinic.

The first ICS conference held outside of the United States took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1978.

The ICA Resource Library moved to its current home at the University of Maryland Special Collections of Music, now known as the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library, in 1979.

In the fall of 1981, the first mid-year ICS Board meeting was held in Chicago held to devote more energy to the future of the organization. Betty Brockett, Jim Gillespie, Jerry Pierce, Bud Rubin, Jim Schoepflin, Dan Sparks, and Alan Stanek were the board members.

In 1981, the first ICS conference held outside of North America was held in Paris, France. The conference was hosted by Guy Deplus, Michel and Anne-Marie Gizard, and the Paris Clarinet Quartet.

In 1981-1982, a new clarinet organization called ClariNetwork International, Inc. was formed with a focus on professional performers.

Prior to the Virginia Commonwealth University Clarinet Conference, the ClariNetwork and ICS boards met to discuss merging the ICS and ClariNetwork International. Gerry Errante, Daniel Levy, John Mohler, Ed Riley, Bud Rubin, and Chuck West facilitated the merger. The motion was unanimously approved by the 59 members present.

The merged ICS and ClariNetwork International members vote to change the organization’s name to International Clarinet Association (ICA).

Julie DeRoche, who later served as the ICA’s first female president from 2000-2002, hosts the 1994 ClarinetFest® in Chicago, one of the largest conferences to this point in the organization’s history.

Jerry Pierce, one of the last of Daniel Bonade’s students, had a “deep interest in the repertoire of the clarinet.” His Pierce’s Potpourri in The Clarinet magazine detailed many obscure and hard-to-find clarinet compositions – real treasures for clarinetists everywhere. After his death in 1994, the Association purchased his extensive clarinet library for the ICA Research Center at the University of Maryland. Jerry’s wife, Linda, coordinated the Society’s Commissioning Project for several years.

ICA website was launched in 1995 by Stan Geidel under the guidance of Alan Stanek.

The ICA Orchestral Audition Competition was founded by Raphael Sanders in 1997. Raphael coordinated this from 1997 to 2007. The first competition resulted in a tie, with Jun Qian and Guillermo Sanchez both placing first.

The ICA celebrated its 25^th Anniversary at the 1998 ClarinetFest® at Ohio State University, a festival that was hosted by James Pyne. During this festival, the ICA set a new Guinness Record, with 280 clarinetists performing “When the Saints Go Marching In” on stage with the Columbus Symphony during the “Picnic with the Pops” concert.

The association also reached the milestone of 4,000 members in 1998.

The ICA introduced electronic voting for officers in 2010. The ICA Board also reestablished the Composition Competition and entered a joint commissioning project with sister organizations (National Flute Association, International Double Reed Society, International Horn Society) to create a woodwind quintet. This quintet, Hardwood for Wind Quintet by Lansing McLoskey, was premiered at ClarinetFest® 2012 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

After the sudden passing of Guido Six and his son Jef, the ICA entrusted the planning of ClarinetFest® 2018 to Eddy Vanoosthuyse in his stead.  Guido served as the artistic director for two ClarinetFests®, 1993 in Ghent and 1999 in Ostend. The Annual Guido Six International Clarinet Choir Festival was founded during this ClarinetFest®.

In 2019, ClarinetFest® 2019 was hosted by Victor Chavez at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. During the festival, attendees set the Guinness World Record for Largest Clarinet Choir ever assembled, conducted by ICA President Mitchell Estrin in Knoxville, Tennessee with 362 clarinetists performing an arrangement written by Matthew Johnston, conducted by the ICA President Mitchell Estrin.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, the ICA was forced for the first time in the organization’s history to cancel ClarinetFest®. The organization organized a free and completely virtual event June 26-28, 2020, to bring clarinetists together.  The event was attended by over 500 clarinetists all over the world.

In 2020, the ICA added and elected it’s first International Vice President to the Board of Directors. Eddy Vanoosthuyse was elected to the position and began serving his term in September of 2020.