Lionel Hampton
Jazz Festival

For over 50 years the Lionel Hampton name and the University of Idaho have partnered to showcase America's Jazz music tradition and promote music education. The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho has become a nationally acclaimed event, featuring four days of concerts, clinics and student competitions. The series presents world-class Jazz artists in both formal evening concerts and informal afternoon clinics. About 5,000 students take part in competitions and clinics given by some of the greatest Jazz performers in the country, while over 10,000 Jazz fans attend performances, workshops and activities.

As a composer and arranger, Hampton wrote more than 200 works, including the Jazz standards "Flying Home," "Evil Gal Blues" and "Midnight Sun." He also composed the major symphonic work, "King David Suite." His lifetime of "swinging" is well documented through hundreds of recordings, many of which rank among the best in Jazz, and all of which are housed and studied inside the Lionel Hampton Center in Moscow, Idaho.

"The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival continues to be one of the foremost and significant events of its kind in the world. Built upon first-class Jazz artistry, the love of and belief in Jazz music and education, the support for teachers in the schools and the enjoyment and satisfaction of the student participants, the Festival continues to flourish with each passing year." - Lionel Hampton (1908-2002)

Among the 2020 scheduled performing artists were Joshua Redman, Dave King, Ron Miles, Scott Colley, Vertical Voices, Amy Shook, Pat Shook, Brian Claxton, Erik Applegate, Kate Skinner, Steve Kovalcheck, and the New Lionel Hampton Big Band with more to be announced.

The 2020 event was held Feburary 28 & 29.