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This year is the 18th season for the Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills. Programming started this month with music education classes for kids through the Discovery Series at General Beadle, Horace Mann and Knollwood elementary schools. The classes introduce kids to various stringed instruments.

The festival’s annual lineup also provides educational classes for youth of all ages, a family-friendly Children’s Concert, and a Classical Concert Series.

The Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills is a nonprofit, zero-debt organization that is looking for new patrons and donors to offset a potential loss of nearly a third of its budget if cuts are made to federal arts funding.

“Nearly 30% of our total budget is under threat of cuts in government support. Both the National Endowment for the Arts and the South ����app Arts Council are in a precarious position, which impacts our programming and outreach greatly,” Michael Hill, executive director of CMFBH, said in a news release.

“Our competition on a national stage against major symphony orchestras has brought federal dollars to the Black Hills for many years based on our artistic quality and educational outreach,” Hill said. “It’s highly competitive to get NEA grants directly to (your organization).”

From 2008, when the festival began, to 2024, CMFBH has attracted more than 38,000 children who attended the festival’s free educational programs.

“We’re working hard to implement programming that helps the community,” he said. “Each year, we dedicate ourselves to increase our impact on the community with the highest quality of concerts and educational programming.”

Every year, the festival brings professional musicians from several states to the Black Hills to help present educational programs, mentor students and perform. This year, Hill said CMFBM has already scaled back, with fewer professional musicians coming to the Black Hills.

“We changed our programming to be a little smaller, fewer personnel, more compact, but it’s done in a way the audience won’t notice,” Hill said. “It’s still going to be great music. The audience will enjoy it.”

Hill is a native of Rapid City who returns each summer for the festival. He is the principal bass of the Orlando Philharmonic and the Orlando Chamber Soloists, and he is an adjunct professor at Rollins College, University of Central Florida and Stetson University.

His wife, Dawn Marie Edwards, is the Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills artistic director. She serves on the faculty of Rollins College, Winter Park, Fla., and she is an acclaimed harpist who has performed internationally.

“If funding cuts go forward, we’re in a tricky situation. The federal cuts in smaller communities like the Black Hills impact (the communities) harder than in other major metropolitan areas because they have corporate sponsors and methods to make up that difference,” he said.

Hill said the Rapid City Arts Council and local foundations have been helpful in providing some of the needed support for future festivals.

“All I can say is we are determined to figure it out, and we’ll make it work,” Hill said. “We’ll find a solution and we’ll move forward.”

Individuals or organizations who want to learn more or support CMFBH can contact Hill or donate online at .

Music education for kids and teens

Part of CMFBH’s mission is to break down cultural and economic barriers through music. By collaborating with local schools and volunteers, CMFBH musicians and local educators can provide educational events free of charge.

“Discovery of Strings keeps growing and getting better and better,” Hill said. “We had to borrow instruments from the school system in order to accommodate all the kids.”

Hill is hopeful that potential funding cuts won’t hinder the festival’s programming for kids.

“A lot of (kids programming) is based on volunteer work,” Hill said. “We’re absorbing those costs ourselves. One thing we did not want to do is have any impact of these cuts on the children we serve. (We’re) moving forward, creating the best programming we can. … Our priority is to implement programming designed to increase academic success and economic opportunities for the children we serve.”

In addition to classes, CMFBH sponsors free educational events throughout the Black Hills to reach underserved communities.

For younger children, the festival introduces classical music at free Musical Story Times at libraries throughout the Black Hills. Musical Story Times set favorite kids’ stories to popular classical music. Children and their teddy bears are invited to hear professional musicians bring stories and characters to life. Each event features strings instruments and a harp.

Musical Petting Zoos let children at Musical Story Times play an instrument under the guidance of professional musicians.

The CMFBH Celebration of Strings will be June 28 and 29 at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapid City. This event is designed for area string students of all ages and levels of experience to rehearse and perform with Hill and professional violinist Maya Anjali Buchanan from Rapid City. The cost is a $10 registration fee at the first rehearsal.

Celebration of Strings provides a day of workshops on June 28. On June 29, the public is invited to a concert by the students at 3 p.m. at Calvary Lutheran Church in Rapid City. Admission to the concert is free.

The festival’s Children’s Concert will be at 1 p.m. Monday, July 14, at in Rapid City. The original concert program is “The Adventures of Tink, the T.Rex,” and it will highlight Tinker the T. Rex, a juvenile T. Rex at the museum. The Children’s Concert will be followed by “Science of Sound,” a hands-on exhibit where kids from preschool to middle school can learn how soundwaves work, Hill said. The exhibit was developed with professionals from Lockheed Martin.

The Chamber Music Festival of the Black Hills continues in July with master classes for students. The classes give students opportunities to perform for professional musicians so they can get feedback.

“This has been effective for high school students as they’re preparing for college applications. They bring in pieces for competitions or college applications,” Hill said.

Because of their connections in the academic world, Hill said he and other professional musicians are sometimes able to help students find scholarships or get auditions as they’re applying to colleges.

Classical influencers, disco and more

In July, CMFBH presents its annual Classical Concert Series. Each concert will be at 7 p.m. at The Journey Museum in Rapid City. Tickets for each concert are $30 for adults, $10 for students, or season tickets are available for $75. Go to for tickets or purchase tickets at the door.

The concerts are performed by from Atlanta Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber, Aeolus Quartet, and the University of California.

“Classical Influencers” – July 11 and 12

Bach, Mozart, and Haydn were the most significant classical influencers. While they all came from different periods and times, their works directly influenced each other and later composers such as Beethoven.

“Bright Lights, Disco Nights” – July 18 and 19

The title is inspired by the last movement of the Dance Band Trio, followed by a surprise work. The second half of the program will "hustle on over" the ocean to France for the iconic Ravel String Quartet. A camera will be installed on the piano to watch the magic of pianist Robert Koenig.

“Southern Harmonies” – July 25 and 26

This concert showcases works influenced by the melodic and harmonic music of the American South. Think Appalachian fiddle playing, warm summer breezes, lemonade on the front porch. The second half of the program will feature the iconic American String Quartet by Dvorak.

The audience is invited to browse through exhibits set up at the Classical Concert Series to learn more about CMFBH’s programs and activities.