1974 - First Official ICS annual meeting is held in Denver, Colorado

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.