John Calma is a trombonist, recognized for his lyrical playing and versatility across standard, baroque, and contemporary repertoire on both tenor and bass trombone.
In 2024 he was the sole U.S. representative at the International Soloist Competition in Markneukirchen, Germany. He's also a member of the Magnus Spiritus Trombone Quartet, finalists at the International Trombone Festival.
John studied with world-renowned soloist and teacher Jeremy Wilson. In early 2025, he spent six months in Vienna under the mentorship of Kelton Koch, second trombone of the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera, performing with the Nova Orchester Wien — including Brahms' Symphony No. 1 at the world-renowned Musikverein.
His time in Europe connected him with influential figures in the trombone world, notably Jörgen van Rijen, principal trombone of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. John was one of just eight students selected internationally for van Rijen's Punto Arte Festival Masterclass in Tuscany, and went on to perform chamber concerts in Sweden, Italy, and Vienna.
At Vanderbilt, John regularly performs with the University Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. He also contributes to student film-score projects — most recently Imagine Land 2040, a short film on the ethics of AI that premiered at the UN's UNCCD conference in Saudi Arabia in December 2024.