Rushmore Music Festival

Each summer, the Rushmore Music Festival brings professional, high caliber musicians and pedagogues from around the world to the Black Hills of South Dakota to share their passion for chamber music.

The Rushmore Music Festival presents a series of audience-engaging chamber music concerts throughout the community and offers various summer camp programs for students of all levels for violin, viola, cello, piano, and composition. The performing artists of the Rushmore Music Festival serve as faculty for the student programs, which take place at Black Hills State University: an instrumental Performance Program for young musicians, the Music Academy for intermediate/advanced students, and a Composition Fellowship for young composers. Students ages 8-20 are welcome to apply; please check program age and level requirements.

It is central to the mission of the festival to provide all interested students with the the opportunity to take part in the festival, regardless of financial situation. To make this possible, we have established a Scholarship Fund to assist families with tuition costs.

The Festival’s innovative concert programming allows audiences to experience a variety of styles and genres, while showcasing a variety of instrumental combinations. Artists provide a spoken introduction to each work prior to performance for a more intimate, personable concert experience. In addition, post-concert receptions give the audience a chance to get to know the artists, further fostering a connection between audiences and musicians.

The Rushmore Music Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.