Since 1989, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival (KCMF) has taken an active role in advancing music education for students and community members in Rhode Island. Throughout the years KCMF has brought artists into local schools for lecture demonstrations, engaged music students with masterclasses taught by world renowned classical musicians, and facilitated performance opportunities for up-and-coming young artists. During the summer of 2024, flutist and University of Miami faculty member, Jennifer Grim, taught a masterclass to campers at the URI Summer Music Academy. The students were also provided free tickets to watch Jennifer perform during the festival. One of the camp students shared, “The part that I will remember the most is Jennifer talking about her experiences growing up not seeing anyone who looks like her in the role models presented. Having that representation is so incredibly important, and quite often it is overlooked.”
KCMF offers a variety of engagement and educational experiences to excite and inform listeners of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of musical knowledge. It also provides unique opportunities for the talented young musicians. These include:
A newly developed Strings Advancement Program at South Kingstown High School.
Masterclasses and lectures by world-renowned KCMF guest artists for middle and high school students at the URI Summer Music Academy.
Pre-concert artist interviews and insightful panel discussions on “Musical and Cultural Connections.”
Festival mainstage performance opportunities for young musicians and ensembles including: Young Artist Mini Recitals, and performances by the URI Summer Music Academy ensembles during the festival weeks.
Intergenerational lecture demonstrations through the URI Osher Lifelong Learning Institute to bring seniors and students together in the exploration of music.
If your school has an interest in working with KCMF to support your music education, please reach out to Executive Director, Valerie Cookson-Botto to discuss how we can help.
Kingston Chamber Music Festival Summer Music Academy Scholarship
In 2025 KCMF established a scholarship to support a student attending the URI Summer Music Academy with full tuition, room and board for the full two week camp.
URI Summer Music Academy
Through the KCMF partnership with the URI Summer Music Academy, students improve their performing skills and knowledge of music making, increase their confidence and self-esteem, and enhance their communication skills and ability to collaborate as a team. Students learn from musicians who are at the top of their field and engage in conversations about the professional music world.The conductors, composers, and musicians of tomorrow start with supporting the young musicians of today. KCMF provides a scholarship to one student camper with full tuition as well as room and board for the URI Summer Music Academy two week camp. Apply here.
Masterclasses from artists such as: twice GRAMMY-nominated Dover Quartet, the internationally acclaimed clarinetist Ricardo Morales, flutist and University of Miami professor Jennifer Grim, and other touring artists are exactly what young musicians need to experience and see that they too have a place in the field of music. Students learn technical mastery of their instruments, as well as how musicians work together in a chamber ensemble. Students have the opportunities to talk with URI international touring musicians about career preparation and life as a professional musician. This type of mentorship between the student campers and top professional musicians plays a vital role in transferring the artistry from one generation to the next. These engagements help aspiring young artists bridge the gap between high school music and college or conservatory music programs.
Campers from the URI Summer Music Academy are also provided a performance opportunity in a pre-concert showcase demonstrating what they have learned on stage during the Kingston Chamber Music Festival. All campers are provided free tickets to KCMF concerts providing them the opportunity to see their mentors performing as chamber music professionals. Campers who attend the URI Summer Music Academy come from diverse communities in Rhode Island and throughout New England, many stay on the campus of URI during the camp.
KCMF Strings Advancement Program
KCMF Strings Advancement Program in-school programming provides a boost to the advancement of high school student string players raising their technical and artistic skills.
KCMF aims to bring local school strings programs back to a place of growth and vibrancy through providing programming where it is needed most. KCMF will bring support to SKHS instrumental string classes in a way that is most meaningful and impactful to the students through working directly with the students during the day in their music classes.
The Kingston Chamber Music Festival (KCMF) is dedicated to advancing the art of chamber music for future generations of artists. Since the shuttering of music programs during the pandemic, strings programs for local youth have not bounced back. Arts enrollment at schools in Washington County, Rhode Island is the second lowest in the state after Providence County. When comparing data from the RIDE Arts Data Dashboard it is clear that visual arts enrollment at South Kingstown High School increased 6% from 2021-2022, whereas music enrollment has shown 0% increase for the same time period. KCMF is focused on supporting school music departments by providing the additional mentorship, instruction and support that youth musicians need to excel as our next generation of professional artists.
Starting the fall of 2025 KCMF began working with the South Kingstown High School (SKHS) Music Department providing small ensemble instruction for student string musicians. This program grew out of communication with SKHS Instrumental Music Director, Fritz Benz. Mr. Benz as a non-strings player is eager to have the support of a professional strings musician to provide face to face instructional support to his students. Only ½ of the string players take private lessons, so the in-school instruction is a critical part of their growth as musicians.
The KCMF Strings Advancement Program is led by Megan Koch, KCMF educator and cellist with the RI Philharmonic. The program supports basic strings skills development through technique studies for sectionals as well as full classes. Ms. Koch works separately with sections of the ensemble providing the violin section a boost to fundamental technique, and more advanced technical and artistic mastery. Students work on left hand positioning, ear training, bowing technique, scale and arpeggio work, and much more in preparation for performances.
With the support of a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts provided the SKHS string classes from October 2025 to June 2026, providing hands-on instruction to advance the technique and artistry of the music students. For the 2026-2027 school year a grant from the Wakefield Rotary Club will support the continuation of the program at SKHS and an expansion of the Strings Advancement Program to Broad Rock Middle School.
Scholarships
In 2004, the Kingston Chamber Music Festival established a scholarship to be awarded annually to a music major at the University of Rhode Island. The recipient is chosen by the faculty of the URI Department of Music. Congratulations to all our recipients!
Carleton Fisher, 2025
Bassist
Carleton Fisher is a bassist currently studying Music Performance at the University of Rhode Island (URI). Carleton first became involved in music in the sixth grade, playing the drums in his middle school’s concert and jazz bands. This experience helped him to develop a love of music of varying genres and idioms which carries through to this day. While in high school, he began to learn the electric bass, with the instrument eventually becoming his primary. In his senior year, he again shifted his focus to learning the upright bass.
At URI, Carleton began to study jazz bass performance under Dave Zinno. Initially only focusing on jazz playing and technique, he later began additional lessons for classical bass with Joseph Bentley. Since arriving at college, he has performed in various ensembles including the Big Band, Symphony Orchestra, and every jazz combo. In 2024, he had the distinct pleasure of performing alongside fellow URI jazz students at the Newport Jazz Festival.
In the future, Carleton hopes to further develop his skill and competency on the bass in both the jazz and classical idioms. Maintaining a love for performing and for the musical arts in general, he hopes to later continue his study of music in graduate school.
Past Winners
Andrea Sims, 2024Vocals
Lisa Nguyễn Bùi Gia An, 2023Piano
Autumn Casey, 2022Clarinet
Makayla Lane, 2021Voice
Faares Deeb, 2019Cello
Collin Tyrrell, 2018Bass Trombone
Katherine Loo, 2017Violin
Jesse-Ray Leich, 2016Percussionist
Tyler Barboza, 2015Trombone
Madison Cardoza, 2014Clarinet
Lukas Chaves, 2014Flute
Clay Nordhill, 2013Guitar
Jonathan Audette, 2012Clarinet & Piano
Theresa Procopio, 2011Oboe
Erin Dawson, 2010Euphonium & Trombone
Allison Parramore, 2009Flute
Kyle Barboza, 2008Electric Bass
Sara F. Dillon, 2007Violin & Music Education
Naseer Francois Ashraf, 2006Piano
Emily Chen, 2005Violin
Nicholas Jemo, 2004Trumpet
Make an Impact
Community support (individual donations, sponsorships, and grants) funds a majority of our budget, 65% in 2024. This support makes it possible for KCMF to price tickets affordably, to provide free admission to students, to offer scholarships, and to support music education locally. Without your support, this work would not be possible.
