Jim Beckel Music

James Beckel is a prominent musician, composer, and educator known for his role as the former principal trombonist with the Indianapolis Symphony since 1969, retiring in 2018. He graduated from the Indiana University School of Music and was on the faculties of DePauw University, retiring in 2023, and formerly with the University of Indianapolis. In addition to his trombone work, Beckel is an active composer and arranger. He has received numerous composition grants and commissions, including being a part of the Continental Harmony Project at the turn of the century, when he composed his very popular patriotic work, “Liberty for All”. Notably, his work, “The Glass Bead Game”, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and is now standard literature for the horn, and has been performed by many orchestras, bands, and chamber groups.

Jim Beckel Music self-publishes, for the most part. Please contact us to rent or purchase music, depending on the work. See each work for more information.