About Us

Connecting the jazz composition community since 2016

Who we are

Founded in 2016, The International Society of Jazz Arrangers & Composers (ISJAC) is the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to serving and advocating on behalf of the international community of jazz composers and arrangers.

The ISJAC member community consists of a diverse spectrum of jazz composers, from students to GRAMMY-winning artists and producers, all of whom are united through ISJAC's efforts to harness resources, opportunities, and to share knowledge with both our members and the jazz community at large.


What we offer

Being an ISJAC member means belonging to a community of creators from all corners of our art form. Our members benefit from a host of opportunities including access to our web programming, live events, artist blog, our Launchpad program, Jazz Composers Summit registration portal, over $10,000 in prizes and so much more.

Additionally, ISJAC has partnered with several organizations including  iJazz Music and Jazz Composers Present.com on providing our members with webinars, publishing opportunities and access to additional resources.

Our History

Established in 2016 by composer Chuck Owen , trumpeter Brian Coyle, and trombonist Dave Stamps, ISJAC came about based on a need to address issues unique to the community of jazz composers & arrangers while providing our members with targeted resources and new opportunities.

ISJAC was created with a goal of tying the jazz composition and arranging world together and to create more visibility for the incredible artists that make up the backbone of our industry.


In its eight-year history, ISJAC has engaged over 1300 members, many of whom are students in the beginning of their careers, produced four Jazz Composers Summits and awarded over $30,000 in prizes for talented composers, resulting in the commissioning of several original new jazz works from both mid-career and established writers.

As we stretch into 2025 we’re expanding both our virtual and in-person programming, creating more opportunities for our members to share their music with others, and establishing more ways for our community to create deep and meaningful connections.

Meet our Team

John Beasley photo

John Beasley
ISJAC President

Chuck Owen
Founder &
Past President

Erica von Kleist
Managing Director

Mike Conrad
VP of Membership

Zach Bornheimer
Web & Integration Specialist

JC Sanford
Launchpad and Blog Management

Meet our Board of Directors

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