05/04/2026
🎉🍷🎶 What an unforgettable afternoon at “Napa in the Black Hills”!
Our annual spring fundraiser with friends from Paloma Vineyard was a glowing success, with a packed house of our Black Hills supporters coming together to champion Rushmore Music Festival student scholarships!!
Guests enjoyed a beautifully curated wine tasting led by Caston Richards, an exquisite dinner, and a heartfelt concert—all made possible with generous support from Haggerty's Music.
An absolutely scrumptious meal was prepared by Chef Jeff Slathar and his stellar team, Alsulu and Dwayne. 👨🏽🍳👩🏽🍳
The musical program featured multi-year RMF alumna violinist Evita Coleman performing alongside her faculty mentors, Dr. Katie Smirnova and Dr. Ismar Gomes, in a moving performance of the Schubert's String Trio in B-flat major, as well as selected Duos by Béla Bartók, and a solo performance from Dr. Gomes. The afternoon also included an inspiring keynote from RMF Artistic Director, Dr. Gomes. 🎙️
Huge thanks to our Executive Director Dr. Katie Smirnova for spearheading this event; to Caston and Heidi Richards for enchanting us with their wines; to Chef Slathar and team for the incredible meal; and to Orion and Stacey Potter for creating the classiest musical tableaux.
Most of all, thank you to our generous community. Your support makes the meaningful work of Rushmore Music Festival possible. 💜💜💜
All funds raised go directly to student scholarships. 👩🏽🎓 Thank you, thank you, thank you!🫵🏽
