What is the International Clarinet Association (clarinet.org)?

clarinet.org is the home of the International Clarinet Association (ICA), a community of clarinetists and enthusiasts who support the clarinet around the world. The site is the association's main hub: it explains who the ICA is and publishes its mission statement, and it hosts membership information, the association's publications, and its events. If you are a clarinet player, teacher, student, or enthusiast looking for a central organization to join, read publications from, or attend events with, this is the entry point.

What the ICA is

The ICA describes itself as a global community built around the clarinet. Its stated mission is set out on the site's Mission Statement section, and the organization presents itself as international in scope rather than tied to one country or region. That global framing shows up throughout the site in the form of international chairs, international partner clarinet organizations, and U.S. state chairs.

The association also documents its own structure and history. The site includes ICA policies and documents, a historical timeline, and a process for honorary member and legend nominations, so members and researchers can see how the organization is governed and how it has developed.

What the site offers

The site organizes its content into a few broad areas. The table below summarizes what each area covers, based on the site's navigation.

Two things stand out for anyone deciding whether to engage. First, the publications side is substantial: The Clarinet Journal is the association's journal, and there is a separate online publication, The Clarinet [Online]. Second, the events side is global and recurring, with ClarinetFest® editions scheduled years ahead (2026 in Incheon, South Korea; 2027 in Salt Lake City, Utah; 2028 in Monterrey, México) alongside LowFest editions and virtual programming.

Who it's for

The site's resources suggest several distinct audiences:

• Students and pre-professionals — the College and Pre-Professional Committee Hub and the Young Artist and Junior Young Artist competitions.
• Players focused on technique and health — the Health and Wellness Committee's general, lifestyle, physical, and mental health resources, plus air support and tone, articulation, and embouchure resources.
• Community musicians — the community music organization contact list and community clarinet choir list.
• Anyone needing repairs — the clarinet repair technician list.
• Teachers and youth leaders — the Youth Involvement Committee.
• Researchers and listeners — the historic recording project, program library and database, and the James Gillespie Library.

Membership and access

Membership is the site's central organizing idea: the navigation leads with "join ICA," and a Members section collects benefits such as the member profile, library and database access, NAXOS access, Forza excerpts access, and discounts on instrument insurance, liability insurance, RATstands, and Tomplay. The site also maintains a membership directory and a discussion forum for members.

The available site information does not state membership prices, payment methods, or whether any content is accessible without logging in, so check the membership page directly for current terms before assuming cost or access levels.

Practical next steps

• To understand the organization first, start with the Mission Statement and the "Who We Are" pages.
• To join, use the membership link in the main navigation and review the listed member benefits before deciding.
• To attend an event, check the member event calendar and the ClarinetFest®/LowFest pages for the edition nearest you.
• To use the resources, browse the committee hubs and the repair technician and clarinet choir lists — these are the most immediately useful directories for players.
• To publish or advertise, see the Clarinet Journal advertising page and the ClarinetFest® sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.