- Tuition for private lessons, chamber coachings, chamber orchestra, and Audience Engagement classes

- Accompanist fees

- Piano tunings & maintenance

- Pick-up/Drop-off at the Rapid City Regional Airport

- Transportation to and from off-campus concert venues

- Free admission to weekly performances at the RMF Faculty Concert Series

- Overnight accommodations with full counselor supervision

Application Fees
Meal Plan
Transportation TO and FROM Rapid City, South Dakota
Extra private lessons requested by the student

As part of the application process, every student must submit a recorded video audition. All video auditions are evaluated strictly on the merit of the performance. Every student that is accepted into the program is guaranteed a Full-Tuition Scholarship that includes Residential Accommodations. Students are only responsible for the non-refundable application fee, any personal travel expenses to and from the Festival, and the Meal Plan Fee.

At this time, there is no paid tuition option to attend the Festival.

Yes, students may submit their chamber group’s video recordings as the audition if the personnel has not changed. However, all students in the group must submit their own individual applications. Students who wish to request specific members in their group may indicate this on their application.

The level of all players, regardless of age, is Early Advanced/Advanced.

As such, students have generally completed a minimum of five years of private lessons and are working on standard repertoire, including Romantic concerti, solo Bach, and a variety of etudes, sonatas, and show pieces.

It has become somewhat of a common practice for the Festival to each summer accept one Junior Artist group of students, who are younger and less advanced, and receive additional mentorship from the Quartet-in-Residence.

Young Artist Fellowship: Students may attend either Session I, or Session II, or both sessions.

Arrival & departure dates must be promptly followed.

Emerging Artists Quartet-in-Residence: Students must attend both Session I & II.

Students may not attend partial sessions or for weeks that overlap both sessions.

Yes, arrangements will be made for all students to be picked up and dropped off at the Rapid City Airport. Special travel accommodations may be allowed for students in need of non-stop flights operating only on select days. Students may also request to travel with faculty & staff, if flying from the same metropolitan area. Often, this is possible to arrange out of New York, Baltimore, or Fort Lauderdale.

Parents of younger students should request an Unaccompanied Minor Airline Escort through their airline to assist with travel and/or connecting flights. Please visit your airline website for more information.

The Festival cannot guarantee free loaner instruments, however, this is often possible. Applicants may always contact the local music store, Haggerty’s Musicworks, for an instrument rental ($100-200.)

Cellists will have to either buy an extra seat on the flight or check their cello in a flight-safe case (no oversize charge for some airlines.)

Bassists must check their bass in a flight-safe case.

If you are concerned about emergency circumstances preventing your attendance at the Festival, we recommend getting a Peace-of-Mind insurance from a carrier such as AMSkier.

Extra lessons may be requested for an additional fee of $120/lesson. In order to guarantee faculty’s availability, it is recommended that additional lesson requests are made in advance at the time of the application.

Yes, as long as you are 18 on the first day of your chosen Festival session, you are eligible to apply and attend.