CLIFFORD ANTONE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AHEAD OF FOURTH ANNUAL AUSTIN BLUES FESTIVAL
Rikki Hardy to make her return to the music industry as the new Executive Director of iconic local music and community philanthropy
AUSTIN, TX – The Clifford Antone Foundation announced today the addition of Rikki Hardy as its new Executive Director. A seasoned music industry and community engagement professional with vast experience across Austin organizations, Hardy has deep roots in the city’s cultural and nonprofit sectors. Most recently she served as the Chief Development Officer at The Trail Conservancy (TTC), where she led a record-breaking Twilight on the Trail Gala with over $700,000 raised. Prior to TTC, Hardy served as VP of Donor Relations & Community Engagement at Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) for more than a decade where she was instrumental in modernizing development operations, cultivating transformational partnerships and elevating donor commitments.
THE FOUNDATION
The Clifford Antone Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit in Austin, Texas dedicated to preserving music culture and community by caring for the elders and investing in the youth. The organization acts as a vital community partner for the Austin Blues Festival, supporting its mission to honor Austin’s blues heritage and care for aging musicians. A portion of festival proceeds benefit Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, supporting the organization’s mission to create and maintain an extraordinary urban park system for the benefit of all Austinites. Hardy has served on the Clifford Antone Foundation Board since summer 2025. The addition of Hardy to the Foundation is anticipated to preserve the legacy of Clifford Antone and further steward a new era of musical and community collaboration in Austin and beyond.
“Austin’s music community made me the person I am today,” said Hardy. “Every step of my career has been shaped by the artists, venues, and nonprofits that make this city more than just the Live Music Capital of the World, they make it home. Joining the Clifford Antone Foundation isn’t just a job move for me; it’s personal. Clifford built a legacy that changed the trajectory of Austin music, and I’m stepping into this role to protect it, grow it, and make sure our artists, from the legends who built the scene to the emerging musicians carrying it forward, are supported for generations. I’m honored, I’m energized, and I’m ready to get to work.”
Hardy first connected with Clifford Antone while attending The University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a seat in his class, The History of the Blues According to Clifford Antone. What began in the classroom evolved into a meaningful friendship, with Hardy often spending time with Antone after class at Antone’s Nightclub, Ruby’s BBQ on Guadalupe, and Antone’s Records, listening closely as he shared stories about the music and the community he loved. She recalls that Antone believed deeply in people, in welcoming new audiences into the Blues, championing emerging artists, and ensuring that elder musicians were cared for and respected.
TICKETS
This announcement comes on the heels of the release of single-day and two-day tickets for the 2026 installment of Austin Blues Festival. Tickets are available now for purchase with headlining performers Parliament Funkadelic ft. George Clinton, BADBADNOTGOOD and Eric Johnson. Co-presented by the legendary Antone’s Nightclub along with Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, the fourth annual festival returns to Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park on April 25th and 26th. The spring festival will also feature performances from Larkin Poe, Adrian Quesada’s Boleros Psicodélicos, The War and Treaty, and Chaparelle among others and second line parades from Pinettes Brass Band & New Breed Brass Band. The full lineup can be found at www.austinbluesfestival.com.
Additional programming details and event information for Austin Blues Festival 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information on the Clifford Antone Foundation and Austin Blues Festival 2026, please visit https://cliffordantonefoundation.org/ and https://www.austinbluesfestival.com/ and follow along at @austinbluesfestival.
CONTACT
Giant Noise | austinbluesfestival@giantnoise.com
ABOUT AUSTIN BLUES FESTIVAL:
The Austin Blues Festival, co-presented by the legendary Antone’s Nightclub and Waterloo Greenway Conservancy, is a two-day celebration of music and culture located at Austin’s Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park. Reviving a beloved tradition that began in 1999 with performances by iconic artists like Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, and Ray Charles, the festival returns for its fourth edition in 2026, while celebrating Antone’s 50-year lease extension as Austin’s “Home of the Blues.” For more information, visit www.austinbluesfestival.com.
ABOUT WATERLOO GREENWAY
Waterloo Greenway Conservancy is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create and maintain an extraordinary urban park system and a restored Waller Creek, in partnership with the City of Austin, for the benefit of all. The Conservancy renews the natural environment, promotes play, health and wellness, economic vitality and mobility, and engages the community through outreach, education, cultural events, and the arts. For more information, visit www.waterloogreenway.org.
ABOUT CLIFFORD ANTONE FOUNDATION
The Clifford Antone Foundation (CAF) is a member-funded nonprofit in Austin dedicated to preserving our music culture by caring for our elders and investing in our youth. Founded in honor of the late Clifford Antone, the Foundation strengthens Austin’s creative ecosystem through strategic grantmaking to credible nonprofits serving musicians and the broader music community. CAF directs its resources to organizations already delivering meaningful impact, while maintaining collaborative partnerships across the city to further its mission. For more information, visit www.cliffordantonefoundation.org.
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Samantha Shirey (she/her)
Giant Noise: Public Relations, Digital Media & Partnerships
O: (512) 382-9017 | C: (830) 385-3709 | www.giantnoise.com
