More than five-hundred trombonists from across the globe are at Western this week for the International Trombone Festival. The four-day event, running until July 19, brings together the global trombone community to learn, perform and celebrate their musicianship.
Alanna Heck
“Our group is totally stoked to be here at an international festival,” said Alanna Heck, a member of the IUP Trombone Choir that performed July 16 at Alumni Hall. She travelled to London, Ont. from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
“We all love playing the trombone and sharing our music with others. I’m looking forward to hearing the variety of styles you might not expect of the trombone,” she said.
Musicians, teachers and students, including both professional and hobbyist trombonists, are exploring the many facets of the trombone through workshops, lectures, vendor exhibits, masterclasses and recitals in a wide spectrum of musical styles.
“It’s a great opportunity for students and the wider community to be exposed to world-class musicians, many of whom they would not have access to otherwise,” said Western music professor Denis Jiron, the host of this year’s festival.
Denis Jiron (right), host of the 2025 International Trombone Festival, gathers musicians for a resounding performance of dozens of trombones playing simultaneously. (Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
International Trombone Festival draws top-tier talent
The festival features a ‘who’s who’ of pre-eminent trombonists selected for their talent and influence, including:
- Jimmy Bosch – An important figure in Latin jazz and salsa trombone who reinvented traditional salsa with a fiery style he calls Salsa Dura (Hard Salsa)
- Christian Lindberg – A pioneer of the modern trombone soloist movement who helped re-establish the trombone as a solo instrument in the late ’80s
- Alain Trudel – A renowned Canadian trombonist and former director of Orchestra London who has conducted every major orchestra in Canada, as well as orchestras in ten other countries
- Fred Wesley – Former music director for James Brown and innovator of the ‘funk trombone’ style who played with or arranged for many other artists such as Tina Turner and Funkadelic
Three finalists competed at the Yaxley Competition during the first day of the International Trombone Festival. (Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
They are among dozens of celebrated trombonists who are playing in recitals or ensemble performances. Activities are scheduled throughout all four days of the International Trombone Festival from morning to evening. The festival also features a roster of student and community trombone choirs from top university and community programs in mainstage concerts, including Western’s own Trombone Choir.
This year marks the first time the festival has ever been held in Canada. The International Trombone Association selected Western as the host institution after Jiron submitted a bid outlining the world-class concert halls and facilities at the Don Wright Faculty of Music, and the proximity of London, Ont, to major centres, with its status as Canada’s first UNESCO City of Music.
Faculty of Music prof draws festival to Western
Jiron’s commitment to trombone education and skill at energizing the study of trombone at Western was a significant factor in bringing the festival to Western. In the three years since starting as the first full-time trombone professor in the Faculty of Music, Jiron has grown the number of trombone students from three to 14, including two grad students.
“I want Western to become an epicentre for trombone and brass music, and a destination for studying and performing with an instrument that is much more versatile than the average person understands,” he said. “The trombone can be played in a salsa band or rock show just as well as a classical ensemble.”
The International Trombone Festival at Western is drawing a global community of trombone enthusiasts, ranging from students to celebrated veteran trombone players. (Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
Jiron, who has shared stages with Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Andrea Bocelli, is excited about the opportunities for his students to interact with an international community of talent from Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Ukraine and the U.K., among others.
“All of my current students, plus a few incoming students, are working as volunteers. They work half-days and get to meet top professionals. They attend the events for free, which makes the festival more accessible to them.”
Public opportunities to experience the International Trombone Festival
The public can access the festival on campus by buying one-day or single-event passes to attend lectures, presentations and some masterclasses put on by artists, teachers and scholars selected for their excellence in trombone teaching and performance.
The London Music Office is welcoming music fans to the International Trombone Festival after-party celebration across Dundas Place on July 18 from 7 to 11 p.m.
The trombone offers versatility that fits with a wide range of musical styles, a slide that produces a unique vibrato and a spectacle of gleaming brass. (Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
Some trombone aficionados consider trombonists among the most innovative musicians for pushing the boundaries of genre and technique. That diversity is reflected in Western’s unique stamp on this year’s festival, where styles beyond the typical classical and jazz trombone are celebrated.
“I value those styles – my own degrees are in classical music – but I also wanted to include genres that might be overlooked,” Jiron said. “There’s so much to trombone music, and I want everyone attending to experience its dynamic versatility.”
