For Vandal Athletics Tickets, please visit GoVandals.comEVENTS & SHOWS
2026 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
University of Idaho
April 22-25
University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival (LHJF) is one of the largest and oldest educational jazz festivals in the world. With hundreds of student performances, outstanding evening concerts with world-class jazz artists and nearly 100 workshops, clinics and special exhibits, LHJF honors the music, dance and history of jazz music and one of its most honored artists, Lionel Hampton. This year’s performers include:
Jazzmeia Horn • Tito Puente Jr. • Warren Wolf • Lionel Hampton Big Band • Something Else! • Summer Camargo • World Beat Ensemble • Hamp’s Jazz Ambassadors • UI Jazz Band I • UI Jazz Choir I • UI Chamber Jazz Choir • Palouse Jazz Project
Wednesday
April 22
ICCU Arena
HAMP’S GALA
FREE, but ticket required.
FREE! Our traditional evening kick-off concert featuring Lionel Hampton School of Music ensembles.
Thursday
April 23
ICCU Arena
SUMMER CAMARGO • TITO PUENTE JR.
WORLD MUSIC CELEBRATION
Summer Camargo
Summer Camargo is a 23-year-old jazz trumpeter, composer, and Conn Selmer/Bach artist from Hollywood, Florida. A Juilliard alum and Jerome Greene Fellow, she was named one of DownBeat's "25 for the Future."
Summer performs regularly at Dizzy's, Birdland, and with the Mingus Big Band, and is the youngest member of the Saturday Night Live band. She is also a band member in Broadway's new musical, Just in Time.
Tito Puente Jr.
Legendary percussionist and Latin jazz royalty, Tito Puente Jr. carries on the vibrant legacy of his legendary father with his own spirited flair. A dynamic performer at casinos, symphony halls, and jazz festivals worldwide, he has played over 300 shows in the past five years.
His album In My Father's Shoes inspired a BET Jazz special, and Got Mambo? highlights his signature blend of classic Latin rhythms and contemporary innovation.
Featured with: UI Jazz Band I, Jazz Choir I & World Beat Ensemble
Friday
April 24
ICCU Arena
JAZZMEIA HORN • WARREN WOLF
HAMP'S JAZZ AMBASSADORS
Jazzmeia Horn
GRAMMY-nominated vocalist and composer Jazzmeia Horn stands at the forefront of modern jazz, blending timeless tradition with fearless innovation. A graduate of Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School, she continues to inspire audiences worldwide with her powerful voice and message-driven artistry.
Her 2024 album Messages (Empress Legacy Records) explores love, resilience, and self-expression through 10 original compositions that affirm her mission: music for healing, truth, and freedom.
Warren Wolf
Warren Wolf is a Baltimore-based multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, and educator. An international performer, he has toured extensively across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America. A member of the SFJAZZ Collective and Christian McBride's Inside Straight, Warren has released ten albums, including projects on Mack Avenue Records.
He teaches at the Peabody Conservatory and the San Francisco Conservatory and endorses Musser instruments and Innovative Percussion mallets.
Hamp's Jazz Ambassadors
The Lionel Hampton Jazz Ambassadors is an exceptional ensemble made up of talented college musicians. This international group includes students from universities across the United States and abroad. Prior to the festival week, they only meet virtually, but come together at LHJF to collaborate, showcase their skills, and celebrate the joys of jazz.
Featured with: UI Jazz Band I & Chamber Jazz Choir
Saturday
April 25
ICCU Arena
SOMETHING ELSE! • LIONEL HAMPTON BIG BAND
SUMMER HAMP’S JAZZ AMBASSADORS
Something Else!
Something Else! is a powerhouse septet led by alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, featuring Jeremy Pelt, Wayne Escoffery, Paul Bollenback, David Kikoski, Essiet Essiet, and Lewis Nash. Their debut album Soul Jazz (Smoke Sessions Records) celebrates the groove-driven spirit of the 1960s soul jazz era with electrifying new energy. Drawing on works by Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, and more, the band fuses virtuosity with irresistible feel-reviving this classic sound for today's audiences.
Lionel Hampton Big Band
Co-led by former Hampton band members, the Lionel Hampton Big Band brings Hampton's hard-swinging jazz to life with energetic performances of his classic hits.
Continuing his legacy, the band honors the jazz icon's collaborations with greats like Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman.
Hamp's Jazz Ambassadors
The Lionel Hampton Jazz Ambassadors is an exceptional ensemble made up of talented college musicians. This international group includes students from universities across the United States and abroad. Prior to the festival week, they only meet virtually, but come together at LHJF to collaborate, showcase their skills, and celebrate the joys of jazz.
Commencement Suites and Club Seating
General Admission is Free, Reserved Club Seats are $25/seat and Suites are $600/suite. Suites hold 12 people and include light refreshments.
Morning Ceremony
College of Argicultural and Life Science
College of Business and Economics
College of Engineering
College of Natural Resources
College of Science
Afternoon Ceremony
College of Art and Architecture
College of Education, Health and Human Sciences
College of Law
College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences
Doors will open 1.5 hours before each ceremony.
DEC 16-18
Short Play Festival
15 plays in 3 nights!
7 p.m. all three nights
Forge Theatre
Student Directed • Student Designed • Student Acted • Student Produced
C'mon, take a break from Finals and see a show...or...15! Run time is approximately 90 minutes per night.