U of I’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival to go virtual in 2021

MOSCOW, Idaho — University of Idaho’s 54th annual Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival will be held virtually online next year.

The jazz night, scheduled for the last weekend of February, will be shifted online. The University says this will allow students to perform from around the country, and still receive instruction from world-class conductors and musicians.

“The festival has typically featured a regional focus, but this format will provide the opportunity for schools around the globe to perform,” said manager Josh Skinner. “We want to provide an event for all schools to participate regardless of their situation forced by the coronavirus.”

The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival includes band performances from elementary school students to college students, and is one of the oldest education jazz events in the world, according to the University.

Up until the pandemic, the event drew 150 schools and 5,000 students to the campus to perform.

With the event gone virtual, the event has also been afforded new, creative ways to engage the audience.

“Some of our concerts will have archived footage with Lionel Hampton and his band with special guests. We will share many special moments throughout the history of the festival,” said Skinner.

University of Idaho expects to return the festival to its traditional format in 2022.

For more information and registration, visit the University of Idaho website here. Registration runs from September 8 to December 18, and the event will be held from February 25-27.

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