KINGSTON, R.I. – July 17, 2025 – University of Rhode Island alumni Adrián Montero Moya and Moé Takamatsu will share the stage with internationally renowned musicians when the Kingston Chamber Music Festival returns to the University from July 23 to Aug. 3 – a thrill for any musician, let alone someone only a few years out of graduate school.

“Since my arrival in Rhode Island in 2022, the festival has been a source of inspiration,” said Montero Moya, who was taken by the passion and camaraderie of the musicians. “I was dreaming of performing in this festival in the future but I never expected it would happen so soon.”

Montero Moya, a classical guitarist originally from Costa Rica, and Takamatsu, a pianist from Japan, bonded while pursuing master’s degrees in music performance at URI, finding a connection as fellow international students. They formed the combo Hashi Duo – Hashi meaning bridge in Japanese – with an aim to create a cultural bridge between Japan and Latin America by combining traditional and contemporary composers from each culture.

“Our duo’s mission is to explore the differences and similarities that lay between our culture and to express that through music,” said Takamatsu, who will be pursuing a doctoral degree in piano performance at the University of South Carolina starting this fall.

“Hashi has been an opportunity to explore our roots and what it means to be from somewhere,” added Montero Moya, who now lives in Columbia, South Carolina.

While Hashi Duo has been together only a short time, they’ve performed around the United States, as well as Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Colombia and Japan.

Their opportunity to perform on an even larger stage came by chance. They bumped into festival artistic director Natalie Zhu outside of Edwards Hall while they waited for an Uber after a festival concert last summer. Zhu learned they were music majors pursuing careers in performance.

“Curious, I looked them up online and discovered that they’re not only active as soloists but also part of a rising guitar/piano duo. They’ve commissioned and premiered numerous works for this uncommon combination, showcasing both creativity and dedication,” said Zhu. “Their passion for music, commitment to community engagement, and their drive to explore new artistic paths have really inspired me. They are a wonderful model for the next generation of young music lovers.”

Montero Moya and Takamatsu, who attended numerous festival concerts during their time at URI, said they were excited to perform one more time in Kingston. “Since my arrival at URI, I have met many families and friends who have supported my musical journey,” Takamatsu said. “It means a lot to perform for them and give back to the South Kingstown community.”

For its 37th year, the festival has the theme of “Where Coast Meets Cadence” – a title conceived by Zhu’s 15-year-old daughter, Clara Chen, playing off dual meanings of coast and cadence to get at the connection that musicians from around the world share with each other and the community during the festival.

“As the festival enters its 37th year,” added Zhu, who is in her 16th year as artistic director, “I feel we’re in a place of both deep roots and exciting evolution. The festival has a rich legacy, and part of my role over the past 16 years has been to honor that foundation while continuing to push its artistic boundaries.”

Presenting a lineup of internationally acclaimed musicians in each concert, the festival will include six main concerts in Edwards Hall on URI’s Kingston Campus, with a seventh concert scheduled for Jamestown. For more information on each concert and tickets, go to the KCMF website.

Hashi Duo will have the honor of helping to open the festival on Wednesday, July 23, during a night dedicated to Latin American music, which includes works by late Argentinian composers Alberto Ginastera and Astor Piazzolla, and late French composer Maurice Ravel. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. with Zhu performing Ginastera’s Piano Sonata No. 1.

Following Zhu, Montero Moya and Takamatsu will perform a special version of “7 Haikus” by Costa Rican composer Marvin Camacho. “‘7 Haikus’ in many ways represents the soul of our project to combine the essence of Japanese poetry with the mystical, indigenous music from the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica,” said Montero Moya. “Originally written for solo piano, the piece resonated so deeply with our project that we commissioned a new version for piano and guitar. Marvin graciously took on this challenge and honored us by dedicating the new version to us.”

On Friday, July 25, Curtis-On-Tour from the renowned Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia will play a collection of works inspired by songs, including Manuel de Falla’s “Suite Populaire Espagnole” to George Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess Fantasy.” The night starts with a pre-concert recital by 14-year-old cellist Julie Chen at 6:30 p.m.

The festival lineup also includes a special concert at the Jamestown Art Center, 18 Valley St., Jamestown, on Saturday, July 26, at 4 p.m., presenting In Triplicate, a new trio of Lin, Newman, and bassist Nate Farrington that composes and arrange their own music. 

On Sunday, July 27, at 4 p.m., the festival will present celebrated classical works by an all-star lineup of composers – Beethoven, Schumann, and Schubert. The evening includes Hai-Ye Ni, principal cellist for the Philadelphia Orchestra, making her festival debut on Beethoven’s Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C.

On Wednesday, July 30, “A Night of Stark Contrast” will feature fan favorite cellist Clancy Newman as a link to three works that present an interesting musical journey. Newman opens the night with violinist Jasmine Lin and Che-Hung Chen on viola on Bohuslav Martinu’s String Trip No. 2 H.238, followed by Dmitri Shostakovich’s Sonata for Cello and Piano in D Minor, Op.40, with Zhu on piano; and Carl Maria Von Weber’s Clarinet Quintet in B-flat Major, Op.34, with Ricardo Morales, principal clarinetist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Amy Oshiro on first violin, Lin on second violin and Chen on viola. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

There will be a free panel discussion on “Musical and Cultural Connections,” featuring Luis Viquez, director of orchestral studies at URI, Montero Moya and Morales, on Thursday, July 31, at 7 p.m. in Edwards Hall.

On Friday, Aug. 1, at 7:30 p.m., “Natalie’s Playlist” will highlight some of Zhu’s favorite works, opening with her playing piano alongside Morales on Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, Op.73. The night also features works by Eugène Ysaÿe, Karel Husa and Beethoven.

The festival closes Sunday, Aug. 3, with the twice Grammy-nominated Dover Quartet – Joel Link and Bryan Lee on violin, Pierre Lapoint on viola, and Camden Shaw on cello – performing in unique pairings with renowned artists on a diverse range of musical styles. The concert, which starts at 4 p.m., includes the Dover Quartet teaming with Morales on Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet and closing the night on Mendelssohn’s String Octet in E-flat Major, Op.20 with Lin and Oshiro on violin, Chen on viola, and Newman on cello.