The Clifford Antone Foundation announced 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 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.
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 here.
Additional programming details and event information for Austin Blues Festival 2026 will be announced in the coming weeks.
