KINGSTON, R.I. – July 28, 2026 – The rare opportunity to perform in front of a sold-out audience at one of the world’s iconic music festivals will once again be a reality for a quintet of University of Rhode Island jazz students.

The combo of Liz O’Connor (vocals), Collin Klampert (guitar), Carleton Fisher (bass), Matt Ippolito (drums) and Ben Resendes (tenor saxophone) will take the stage at the legendary Newport Jazz Festival, rubbing elbows with and performing alongside the genre’s premier artists and acts in a festive weekend in the City by the Sea. The five students will perform Sunday, Aug. 2, at 1:20 p.m. on the Foundation Stage in front of a massive gathering of jazz enthusiasts at Fort Adams State Park.

“The Newport Festivals Foundation has been an extraordinary partner in supporting jazz education. The opportunity for our students to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival is an extension of the classroom, where preparation, artistry, and professionalism meet on one of the world’s most significant stages,” said Emmett Goods, URI’s director of jazz studies. “Our students earn this opportunity through months of dedicated work, and I couldn’t be prouder to see them represent URI at such a historic festival.”

O’Connor, Fisher, Ippolito, Resendes and Klampert all have past experience performing at the Newport Jazz Festival, including last year’s event. Yet, the opportunity to be a scheduled act at the very festival that jazz legends such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck once performed is nonetheless thrilling.

“Last year was my first year even attending the festival, let alone performing in it. It’s almost surreal being on stage there,” said O’Connor, a senior from Milford, Massachusetts, majoring in vocal jazz performance. “I’m excited to experience it again and have a lot of fun. You have people come from all over the world to not only perform in it, but also to watch it.”

“What I’m looking forward to most is feeling that raw energy,” said Ippolito, a senior from Nanuet, New York, majoring in music education. “There’s so many people, so many artists and cool things happening all weekend long, plus the history of it. It will be great to feel all that again.”

Performing at the Newport Jazz Festival still holds special meaning for Klampert, a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in jazz guitar performance. Klampert grew up and still resides in Middletown, Rhode Island—a stone’s throw from Newport—and began going to the jazz festival a decade ago. He knows full well how much the vibe and energy shifts on Aquidneck Island when the festival draws near.

“Having the privilege to come back and play in my hometown at, arguably, the most important festival we put on as a community is huge,” Klampert said. “Taking the stage in front of that audience is very important to me.”

While gracing the audiences with their sound, there’s also that chance the students could meet performing artists at the festival. Case in point, Resendes—a senior from West Warwick, Rhode Island, double-majoring in music education and jazz performance—met jazz saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin at a previous festival.

“She is super inspiring to me,” Resendes said. “She’s one of my favorite current alto saxophonists. You also get to see the Rhode Island Music Education Association all-state jazz ensemble perform, so you’re seeing the next generation of musicians and what they’re doing.”

The group’s 25-minute festival setlist was arranged to fit with the combo’s front line being a horn and a vocalist. They will perform “Yes or No,” a 1965 piece by saxophonist Wayne Shorter; “Three O’Clock in the Morning,” a 1920s waltz composed by Julián Robledo and made famous by tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon; the jazz standard “Jeannine,” composed by pianist Duke Pearson in 1961; and “Ugetsu,” a 1969 work by pianist Cedar Walton—and the name meaning “fantasy” in Japanese.

“The setlist we have for this year’s festival is going to be really fun,” said Fisher, a senior from Lincoln, Rhode Island, majoring in jazz performance. “I’m also looking forward to seeing my friends from the school year along with all of the incredible talent that will be there.”

The students credit Goods’ teachings at URI in helping them flourish on stage, the jazz festival notwithstanding. O’Connor says Goods constantly encourages students to listen to music to help shape their craft. The more music O’Connor listens to, the more she absorbs into her own music, she says.

Fisher also says that Goods pushes students to step outside of their respective comfort zones, at times, as musicians. Klampert says Goods puts strong emphasis on community, where musicians can not only become leaders on stage, but also have music reach the masses. Teaching music to others is an important element that Goods stresses in the classroom, Ippolito says. 

Resendes says the University’s jazz program turned them from being a simple “band kid” into a true musician. “He’s had a tremendous impact on me and my fellow jazz students,” Resendes said.