American Bandmasters Association

American Bandmasters Association
Name	American Bandmasters Association
Abbreviation	ABA
Formation	1929
Type	Honorary organization
Headquarters	United States
Leader title	President

American Bandmasters Association is a professional honor society founded in 1929 to promote excellence among concert and military bands through leadership, standards, and new music. It brings together leading conductors, composers, and educators including figures associated with John Philip Sousa, William D. Revelli, Antoine J. Reicha, Gustav Holst, and Percy Grainger to influence concert repertoire, pedagogy, and performance practice. The organization has intersected with institutions such as Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, Juilliard School, Yale School of Music, and military ensembles like the United States Marine Band and United States Army Band "Pershing's Own".

History

The association was founded in 1929 by prominent figures including John Philip Sousa-era advocates and leaders connected with University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Michigan State University, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Eastman School of Music, and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Early meetings featured directors from collegiate programs at Ohio State University, University of Illinois, Florida State University, Texas Christian University, and University of North Texas. Throughout the mid-20th century decades the ABA collaborated with composers such as Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Dmitri Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, and Paul Hindemith for premieres and advocacy, while aligning with ensembles including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and military bands like the United States Navy Band. The association’s archive and oral histories have intersected with repositories at Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, National Archives, and the Newberry Library.

Membership and Governance

Membership has historically included bandmasters and composers affiliated with universities like University of Michigan, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Louisiana State University, and University of Texas at Austin as well as leaders from military organizations such as the United States Air Force Band, United States Army Band, and United States Navy Band. Governance follows practices of comparable societies including the American Composers Forum, Music Teachers National Association, The Conductors Guild, and the American Choral Directors Association, with elected officers drawn from figures connected to Carnegie Mellon University, Berklee College of Music, Northwestern University School of Music, and conservatories like Curtis Institute of Music. Committees often coordinate with festivals and organizations such as Interlochen Center for the Arts, Augsburg Fortress, Association of Concert Bands, and regional conferences like Texas Music Educators Association and National Band Association.

Awards and Honors

The association confers honors that have recognized composers and conductors associated with Gustav Holst, Percy Grainger, John Philip Sousa, William D. Revelli, and modern figures tied to Karel Husa, Clifton Williams, Alexander Tcherepnin, Vaughan Williams, and Béla Bartók. Awards mirror practices found in institutions such as Pulitzer Prize, Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts, ASCAP Foundation, and the Guggenheim Fellowship by recognizing achievement in wind literature, composition, and service. Past honorees have been affiliated with ensembles and organizations including the Dallas Wind Symphony, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra, and educational programs at Ithaca College, University of North Texas College of Music, and Florida State University College of Music.

Commissioning and Repertoire

The association’s commissioning program has sponsored premieres and new works by composers linked to Aaron Copland, Krzysztof Penderecki, Jennifer Higdon, John Adams, Frank Ticheli, Eric Whitacre, Karel Husa, David Maslanka, Alfred Reed, Gunther Schuller, Samuel Barber, Bret Michaels (as a contrasting popular collaborator), and others connected with publishers like Hal Leonard Corporation, Boosey & Hawkes, Southern Music Company, and E.C. Schirmer. Commissioned works have entered repertory performed by ensembles such as the United States Marine Band, Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, Dallas Winds, and university ensembles at Ohio State University, University of Michigan, Indiana University, and University of North Texas. The ABA’s efforts intersect with festivals like New Music USA, ISME World Conference, Tanglewood Music Center, and recording projects for labels such as Naxos, Decca Records, and Sony Classical.

Conferences, Conventions, and Performances

Annual meetings and conferences have been hosted in cities with major venues such as New York City, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. and have featured performances at halls like Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall (Boston), Chicago Symphony Center, and university auditoria at Eastman School of Music and Yale University. These events bring together conductors, composers, and educators from organizations including National Band Association, Music Educators National Conference (MENC), American School Band Directors Association, and international delegations from institutions like Royal College of Music (London), Conservatoire de Paris, and Tokyo University of the Arts. Past programs have included premieres, lectures, and panels with representatives from Library of Congress, Smithsonian Institution, National Endowment for the Arts, and publishers including G. Schirmer.

Publications and Educational Programs

The association publishes proceedings, commission lists, and resources distributed alongside organizations such as Music Educators National Conference, International Society for Music Education, The Instrumentalist, Journal of Band Research, and academic presses like Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Educational initiatives coordinate with university programs at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Berklee College of Music, and conservatories including the Curtis Institute of Music and Juilliard School to support repertoire study, conductor training, and scholarship. The ABA’s materials have been cited in curricula and syllabi used by ensembles at Florida State University, Texas Christian University, Northwestern University, and regional conservatories, and complement grants and fellowships from bodies such as the National Endowment for the Arts and Ford Foundation.

Category:Music organizations based in the United States