University of Idaho Musicians to Perform at USS Idaho Commissioning Ceremony

Mon Apr 20th, 2026

NEW LONDON, CT – Students and faculty from the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton School of Music will perform at the commissioning of the U.S. Navy submarine USS Idaho on Saturday, April 25, at Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut.

Six students and four faculty members will perform as a string ensemble and vocal duo, with arrangements by Distinguished Professor Dan Bukvich. The program is expected to include the University of Idaho’s fight song “Go Vandals Go,” Idaho’s state song “Here We Have Idaho,” the national anthem, and a medley representing all five branches of the military.

The USS Idaho (SSN 799) is a Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine christened in March 2024. Some of the vessel’s advanced acoustic stealth technology was developed at the U.S. Navy’s Acoustic Research Detachment on Lake Pend Oreille in Bayview, Idaho.