Honorary life membership is a highly prestigious recognition, bestowed on selected individuals for their dedication to music education and to ISME. It is conferred at the General Assembly, held at each biennial world conference.

Honorary life members must:

• Be recognised as a genuinely outstanding music educator in at least one country
• Have established a record of achievement and distinction
• Have made contributions to music education that are of lasting value and that will likely be considered of importance by future music educators
• Have been active in the Society for an extended period 

The nomination process requires the following:

• Name and full contact details of the person who is submitting the nomination. Nominations can only be accepted from a current ISME member
• The name and full contact details of the person being nominated
• A copy of the curriculum vitae for the person being nominated
• A narrative by the person who is submitting the nomination that provides information on the distinguished contribution of the person being nominated. Separate statements (in one document) must be provided on each of the four evaluative criteria for the award by indicating how the person being nominated is: recognised as a genuinely outstanding music educator in at least one country; has established a record of achievement and distinction; has made contributions to music education that are of lasting value and that will likely be considered of importance by future music educators; and as been active in the Society for an extended period.

Nominations are made by members each biennium and the process is implemented by a Standing Committee, under the responsibility of the Past President.

Honorary Life Members

The following are Honorary Life Members:

• Graham Bartle
• James Carlsen
• Alda de Jesus Oliveira
• Ana-Lucia Frega
• Susan Hallam
• Violeta Hemsy de Gainza
• Liane Hentschke
• Paul Lehman
• Clifford Madsen
• Marie McCarthy
• Gary McPherson
• John Ritchie
• Sylvia Schwarzenbach
• Wendy Sims
• Ronald Smith
• Einar Solbu
• Yasuharu Takahagi
• Joan Therens
• Ellen Urho
• Graham Welch
• Robert Werner

Attached below is an extract from the ISME Policy Manual, relating to the process for seeking nominations and then reviewing and bestowing honorary life membership